I’ll never forget while I was in college taking a class in finance. My professor brought in a guest speaker for the day. I walked into the class as he was fumbling through his things, trying to get his laptop set up to display his charts and figures on the projector for all the class to see.
He then introduced himself and told us about the purpose of his visit and his speech. In our case it was because we were due to graduate soon.
The guest speaker asked for two volunteers to demonstrate the point he was about to make. He then asked my classmates two questions.
- What do you want to do after you graduate?
2. How much do you want to make?
Both of them went on to describe their dream job and the resulting income. I remember the income figures were high because they got my classmates murmuring in the background.
Always expect that things will not be easy
Once they were done talking, our guest speaker quickly knocked those numbers down stating that neither one would likely achieve those income goals.
He went on to give numbers on the average students earnings after graduation.
He Described through his charts that the average graduate usually starts with a salary anywhere from 35k-50k and gets two pay raises in his working career.
The first comes: After a bit more experience on the resume a few years after graduating. The effect is a chance at a promotion, multiple job opportunities, the sky is the limit at this point.
The second comes: Years more down the line after 20 plus years of experience in the workforce, resulting in a final career pay increase.
He was detailing a 40-50-year work history. As I was sitting listening and looking up at his charts, all I kept thinking was, who does this guy think he his?
The harshness of what he was saying struck a nerve; here we were seniors in college with all these hopes and dreams. Meanwhile someone we didn’t know was coming in to tell us at best only one of us in the room would achieve the level of success we were all hoping for.
Always be optimistic about the future
I came out the class thinking two things:
- I don’t want my life charted out and read out to me by a stranger.
- This speaker’s speech was dated. I’m not even sure I wouldn’t have said the same thing if I was around in 1970.
We’ve always lived in times where opportunities were endless. The opportunities change over the years but they are still there. Your work does not have to stop after you get home from your 9-5. Now with the internet and your phone the only limit is your imagination.
That’s the speech I would’ve wanted him to give to the class.
Years later I’ve often wondered how many of my classmates let the speakers speech demotivate them and how many got even more fired up like I did, determined to never prove him right.
Always keep a positive attitude
Inspiration and motivation are one of the biggest keys to success in anything we do in life, there’s a reason we look for it in outside sources when we can’t find it in ourselves.
Earning a high income is not the definition of success and not all us sitting in that room had that goal. However, all of us had ambition. We can be ambitious at any stage in our lives but we are especially so as young students ready to conquer the world.
Revisit those goals
Without a goal we don’t know where we’re going. Don’t wait till your next job interview or your next date to hear the question.” Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
There’s a great confidence in setting financial goals, professional goals or personal goals and surpassing them.
It is so easy to let life pass us by. For example most of us will get a job, then work in the same place for 30 years because it’s the safe thing to do and it pays the bills. All the while falling into this mundane routine of going to work, going home, watching TV, falling asleep and doing all over again the next day
Don’t let your life be part of someone’s Chart
All of us reach a point where we think we haven’t accomplished what we thought we would at our current age. There’s always someone ready to tell you what the odds against succeeding are. Ultimately the important thing is to reconnect to your most important goals in life and realize that it’s not too late. Start every day with a purpose and it will all fall in place.