The younger you are, the less power you feel you have in saying no and choosing what you deserve.
You are told to take every opportunity out there because there are limited options.
When I obtained my first summer job as a tennis coach at 13, I thought it was the best gig in the world because it was the only one offered to me at that age! Boy was I wrong. Although I did earn a juicy salary of $50 per tennis lesson plus tip and free lunch from affluent members at the country club, something was missing.
My concept of time and use of the noggin.
I didnât learn much teaching tennis and folding towels at the pool. I knew that $50 wonât keep me afloat in NYC and wonât move the needle in my life even even after working 12 weeks 6 days a week 5 hours a day. By the time taxes are implemented, half of my paycheck is gone.
Combing taxes, selfish members and abuse of my time, I decided to reflect on my self worth and seek out a better investment even if it came at the cost of my earnings.
When youâre young, your brain is like a spunge. You ideally want to take on a position that will teach you something. Flipping patties can be fun but with the amount of time you are wasting and limited money you are generating, itâs nothing compared to a role where you could still be making less but learning much more.
Thatâs what education is all about. Tradeoffs and high hopes.
You could work a minimum wage job at McDonalds for 4 years hardly surviving or go into debt as millions of students a year do making little to nothing even within internships in hopes of earning more in the long-run with somewhat of a guarantee; the degree being the biggest advantage.
Yet youâre in luck. With the internet boom and remote world, companies such as Amazon and Tesla are bashing the classic institutional degree and promoting ed-techâs influence to save money, time and hassle to help students earn and graduate faster! Not only can you skip the typical college route, you can also make money on the side online through countless sites. It seems like thereâs no reason you should trade your money for time anymore.
Say No To Get the Yes You Deserve
If youâre like me and 20 million other teens, youâre following the classic traditional route of a 4 year degree at an institution. Thereâs absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially if you can afford it but itâs always helpful to keep your options open especially when it comes down to post-graduation and the real world.
At college, you are somewhat depending on the business (your school) to make you successful which can be a risky path inside the most comfortable traditional one.
So learning how to say, ânoâ is your best bet.
Saying no is a philosophy and way of living. Your time is precious and you cannot say yes to everything that comes in your way .
The legendary investor, Warren Buffet states, âyou have to say more noâs than yesâs to move forwardâ. Believe it or not, you canât do everything but you can do something right really well and that starts with staying focused and patient with stoicism.
Specifically when youâre a fresh graduate out of school. Youâll worked your tail off these past 4 years and canât just say yes to any job offer that comes around. You have to be greedy and know what you deserve.
Be courageous and curious. You have to be patient to find something that is right for you. No one would argue giving up a fantastic position at a top tier company but the problems lie behind the closed doors. Just like your 10 year-old self when you found your first dollar on the street, we get allured by the paycheck forgetting about our future worth and life.
The truth is, no job is secure but what is secure is knowing how to be irreplaceable and indispensable. If you take up anything, you most likely wonât perform at your peak level and quickly quit. Thereâs no upside to that unless you receive a severance as a nice good-bye present.
Knowing how to say no and what to choose is vital in your career but also in life. Here are additional things you should say no to at any age to fuel your future and mind:
#1 Free Food
#2 Screen Time Before Bed
#3 Eating JunkÂ
#4 Spending Time With People Who Donât Change You
#5 Quitting Too Early
#6 Following and Listening to Everyone
#7 Being a Perfectionist
#8 Complaining About Things
#9 Blaming People
#10 Not Taking Care of Your Mind and Physical Body
Once you learn how to say NO, you start to enjoy the journey more, embrace change and become the captain of your ship.