Do you ever find yourself wondering if your degree is worth the hassle you’re going through to get it? If so, you’re not the only one. Many college students are excited about their field of study in the beginning but find themselves second-guessing their choices as they get closer and closer to graduation.
However, just because you are having this thought doesn’t mean you are doomed. You just have to find a way to stay driven. That motivation can be found in Gary Vaynerchuk.
Vaynerchuk is a Russian-born American entrepreneur, author, speaker and Internet personality. Before he became any of these things, however, he was a wine critic. Vaynerchuk put his knowledge as a critic to good use; by his late twenties, he had expanded his family’s wine business from $3 million a year to $60 million.
More than a decade later, young adults recognize him from his heavy presence in digital marketing and social media.
Vaynerchuk uses these platforms to motivate America, especially young entrepreneurs, and let them know that it is okay to not have it all together right now, struggle for a while or feel as though nothing will work out. He once said, “you can do nothing for the next 10 years, and still be successful.”
In his short posts on Facebook, tweets on Twitter and videos on Instagram, Gary Vaynerchuk shares his secrets of success and offers encouragement and advice for young people trying to reach that same success.
Arrogant, vulgar and often brutally honest, he is nevertheless ready and willing to help you make your dreams comes true. Of course, that’s only if you are willing to put the time and energy into the venture. Here’s some of his best advice.
Stop Caring What Other People Have
In this era, you pretty much need to be social to survive. That being said, it’s never easy to surround yourself with people — or a network, as a professional would call it — and not compare yourself to them.
You constantly find yourself raking through their social media accounts and watching from afar, trying to figure out how they manage to be everything you are not. This right here is the problem.
You shouldn’t care if someone has a nicer car than you, a nicer handbag than you, or the Yeezy’s that just came out. You shouldn’t care if someone knows you take the bus or if they think your jewelry isn’t up to par.
Someone else’s opinions and materialistic belongings have nothing to do with you or your happiness. Guy Vaynerchuk makes this clear, telling his followers: “The number one mistake people make is they care what other people have.”
Don’t Beat Yourself Up
If things are not coming easily to you, don’t get down on yourself. It’s a cliché, but it’s true: nothing worth having ever comes easy. The success you want will in no way be simple to attain.
For some reason, however, society often takes this as a sign that you did something wrong. If you are in the age group of 16 – 24, you most likely have parents, relatives and friends hounding you about what school, major and job you want.
You may not have any answers for them yet, and that pressure could make it even harder to find out what you want to do with your life.
If you fall between the ages of 22 – 25, however, you may be a bit more removed from the school environment. Everything you were taught and trained for the last 12 – 18 years is over.
Before you can start making millions or changing the world, you’ve got to acclimate yourself to a totally different world. Of course, you’ve lived as a student for such a long time that it will be impossible for you to adapt to a new one overnight.
So don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t a CEO by age 30. Most people aren’t, and that’s absolutely fine.
Mindset
Don’t let anyone warp you into thinking you can’t succeed, including your parents. The mind is a double-edged sword; it can build you up to unimaginable heights or pummel you into dust.
Strive to get to a place where you know exactly who you are. Always appreciate the opinions of others and respect them, but never let them make decisions for you; always value your opinions and final decisions and never allow anyone’s point of view trump your own.
And, as Vaynerchuk says, never take “someone else’s $0.02 instead of your $0.03.”
Don’t Live For Weekends
If you are living for Friday nights, according to Vaynerchuk, “your sh*t is broken.” When you are in a position where you can taste your goals every workday, you should be itching for Mondays, rather than dreading them; Monday is when you can get back to working on yourself.
Of course, the weekends are great. You get to relax, catch up on errands and watch your favorite sports, TV shows and/or movies. But if you are constantly yearning for those two days, you are doing it wrong.
You should be excited about school, your jobs and whatever other responsibilities you have during the week — because those things will bring you one step closer to your goals.
These are only a few things Gary Vaynerchuk preaches through his talk shows, podcasts, social media posts and keynote speeches. Although you may feel like your parents and other authority figures are/have been saying the same things, sometimes all it takes for it to hit home is for you to hear it from someone else.
