If you were interested in thefirst seven life realities, you just may be hooked enough to read the next seven. Believe it or not, #IfIWere22, I would I would make sure to put all of these on my list of to-dos, and do them all early in my career. It’s amazing now I am later in my career how many life experiences I wish I could change. These encompass a host of feelings, emotions and physical experiences that will most likely help you create a deeper sense of meaning and purpose as you enter your professional world – enjoy!
- Travel The World
- Don’t Compare Your Salary With Others
- The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side
- Share What You Know With Others – Don’t Hold On To It
- Commuting To Work
- Don’t Burn A Bridge
- Smell The Roses
Travel The World
As a young twenty-something, I never had the desire to travel. As I got older, got married and had children, personal vacation travel became very difficult, and the cost was prohibitive. In your early twenties you may think you will always be able to travel later in life. That is a false expectation. When you’re young and single, take time to travel the world and experience everything life has to offer. You will be so glad you did. Then, later in life you can share those experiences with your spouse and children. Traveling is life changing. Enjoy it while you can. You will never regret your decision.
Don’t Compare Your Salary With Others
Now that you have your degree and are working, it’s natural to start comparing your salary to your friends. STOP! I wish someone told me this when I was your age. I have been comparing my salary to my friends, co-worker and my industry for my entire career and it is not helpful. When you decide to compare your salary to others, you always end up making yourself frustrated. It handicaps your thinking and always places you in a situation that forces you to start looking for another job that pays more. If you want to continually look for a job for your entire career, then compare all you want. It’s tiresome, can be stressful and takes lots of energy. When you don’t compare, you will feel content and a lot happier in your career. After all, your job is a whole lot more than money.
The Grass Isn’t Always Greener On The Other Side
You’ve probably heard this expression at some time in your life. I was someone who always thought the grass was greener at another job. I discovered that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Don’t be tempted to think this way. It will lead you down a path that is a slippery slope of never ending job-hopping. The grass isn’t greener on the other side; it’s just different grass.
Share What You Know With Others – Don’t Hold On To It
As you learn and grow in your career, share valuable information and insight with others. Don’t hold on information thinking it will make you smarter. This doesn’t make you smarter; it only makes you think you’re smarter. When people mentor you and share their stories and insight with you, pass along what you have learned to others. My former boss Roz once shared with me something I will never forget. She said to go through life with both of my hands open wide and stretched out in front of me. She also said this allows me to share blessings with others, and also receive them from others. This was great advice of which I have since shared with many others in my career. I hope you will do the same.
Commuting To Work
Take it from someone who has had the wonderful opportunity to change jobs, work domestically and internationally as well as relocate to many cities and states. This was a tremendous experience that I really enjoyed. With the many positive things that come with moving, there are also a few negatives. One of them is the length and stress of your commute to work. I didn’t always do my due-diligence when researching how long my commute would be to work when I settled on a home in a new place. If you are not accustomed to a long commute, this may not be an issue for you.
However, if you get caught in a very long and stressful commute like I have a few times, the workdays become much longer. Your free time becomes shorter and your attitude might not be a friendly one. Take my suggestion; don’t settle for a long commute, you could hate it every morning you climb in your car to go to work and every evening when you get ready to drive home. In case you do, use that time wisely. It may be the only time in your day in which you can think uninterrupted. You can also use this time to learn and grow yourself professionally listening to podcasts, cds or Internet radio.
Don’t Burn A Bridge
This may sound like it’s only for military personnel, it’s not. In your career, you will have ample opportunity to “burn a bridge” with your boss, co-workers or anyone else in your career. You could end up doing this by saying mean, hurtful things. This can occur when you leave a job and that may cause a strain in your relationship. It can also damage your professional reputation as you move on in your career. Believe it or not, this happens. When you’re leaving a company and going on to another, this is the time when you feel like you have the most power to blast your boss. Don’t do it. You might feel great for that moment in time, but you will feel horrible soon after.
Then, you just never know when you move on to another company years later, that same person you blasted is the person who works in the company or department in which you are applying. Yikes!
When I worked for WJBF-TV (ABC), I gave my notice and really wanted to blast my boss at the time. I didn’t do it (I am not sure why either). When I got to WTLV-TV (NBC) in Jacksonville, Florida, I was told soon after I got there that the general manager at my previous employer spoke highly of me. I instantly thought, wow, what a small world, how did they know my previous employer? Lesson learned: Don’t burn a bridge. Take the high road when you exit a job and leave with class and dignity.
Smell The Roses
Life has so much to offer and many of us do not take time to slow down and enjoy what’s in front of us. In today’s digital, socially crazed world, everyone is thinking speed, immediacy and wants instant gratification. I fully understand that and appreciate why you may like it and gravitate toward it. I have always been someone that wants to go through life at 100MPH. Quite frankly, I became pretty darn good at it too. What I didn’t realize was that because I was moving so swiftly, I was missing a lot of the beautiful experiences in life that were passing me by because I didn’t take time to pay attention. Don’t do this to yourself. Start enjoying life now when you’re young. Life is way too short not to.
#IfIWere22
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