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We all know mistakes are a necessary evil in this game we call life. On one hand – they can be fairly embarrassing and uncomfortable to make. On the other hand, mistakes help us to learn and grow.
Entrepreneurs know this bittersweet truth more than most, as a portion of their days are spent making mistakes – sometimes costing them tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result.
Matt Young is a serial entrepreneur who quickly rose to the limelight after being named a Top 20 Entrepreneur by Forbes. We asked him to give us his Top 15 mistakes before turning 30: Here’s what this young mogul had to say:
Caring About What Others Think
If you can learn to detach yourself from the opinions of others and place more emphasis on what you believe about yourself, you can propel yourself much quicker.
Living in the Past
Living in the past is like driving a car while staring in the rearview mirror; sooner or later, you will crash. Be present.
Doubting Your Abilities
Nothing will kill your dreams quicker than self-doubt. Confidence is the key to success.
Feeling Entitled
Entitlement is an ego-based sickness which can only be cured from having the right perspective. Nobody owes you anything. Not your family, friends, co-workers or society. Once you learn this truth, you’ll inherit self-sufficiency and gratitude.
Partying Every Weekend
There are 52 weeks in a year. Let’s say you went out drinking with your friends every weekend for a year straight: Congratulations, that’s almost 20% of the year that you can never get back.
Not Valuing Your Time
Get clear on what your time is worth, then monitor your daily habits. Is what you’re doing on a day-to-day basis reflecting the value of your time? If not; it’s time to re-prioritize.
Lack of commitment
Instant gratification is one of the biggest reasons people don’t commit to their goals. If they can’t achieve it now, they don’t want it. This feeds back into entitlement. Commit now, regardless of how much time it takes you to accomplish your goals.
Failing to plan
When you don’t plan ahead, the wind seldom blows in your favor. Knowing this, you can increase your odds of success by writing down your goals.
Thinking Small
It’s better to set gigantic goals and fail, than to set small goals and succeed. I learned this from my first sales job. Most of the sales reps around me had set goals of generating 10-15k in revenue. Most succeeded.
My goals were a bit different. I told myself I needed to hit 100k per month, every single month. Ironically, I never hit my personal goal, and yet I still became the #1 Sales Rep in the Company.
Working A Job You Don’t Like
The typical American spends more time working at their job than at home with their family. Find a job you can actually enjoy. If you can’t find one, create one!
Staying in Your Comfort Zone
‘Do what makes you feel comfortable’ is terrible advice, in my opinion. Leave your comfort zone asap. That’s how you get to the next level.
12. Hanging With The Wrong Crowd
Look around you. Who do you spend time with? What are they doing with their life? What do they value? Do they inspire you? Pick the right associations, you’ll save yourself time, money and stress.
Ignoring Your Health
I remember a sign in my doctors’ office that said “We slave for our wealth, just to end up having to pay for our health”. Take care of your physical and mental well-being now so you don’t suffer later in life.
14. Not Taking Risks
When you get older, it becomes more difficult to take risks. It’s not impossible as you get older, but there’s more factors involved. Parenthood, family, etc. Do it while you’re young. Make all the mistakes necessary to learn; just don’t repeat the same mistakes or they become choices.
Taking Advice From Those Who Aren’t Where You Want to Be
Listening to the wrong folks can set you back decades in life. My rule of thumb is simple: If the person giving advice is where you want to be in life, listen closely. If not? Be discerning.
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