I am certain that hard work alone isn’t enough to make you successful in business or in life. Yes, hard work pays off. It separates you from the majority of people who isn’t motivated to work hard in the things they do. Ultimately, hard work cannot outdo experience. Experience helps individuals to make better and smarter decisions. It is irreplaceable.
I was brought up in the most traditional Chinese parenting environment. The most common thing that I was often told was that in order to be successful in life, we either have to venture our interest in accounting, finance or marketing. I did exactly that. Especially in the era, we are in today, it is no longer about what your parents wants you to pursue in life or how hard you need to work to get to the top. We were all raised to believe that hard work is the key to happiness and fulfillment, but this isn’t always the case. It is about getting yourself exposed to as much as you can to the outside world, chasing the dreams you hope to accomplish and work on your passion. The reason is these are the moments in life where you have the time to make mistakes.
Looking into owning a business or being an entrepreneur, it is the same exactly. Do not be afraid to make a mistake or two. Take that risk! Take chances. Go out there and get the experience while making a mistake. If you are going to be doing an internship for a company, do it. You shouldn’t be worrying about the pay you are going to get. Because mistakes and failures are inevitable. Most importantly, they will make you better and stronger. So, be ready to embrace making mistakes because it is part of the success equation. At the end of the day, nothing is going to make up for the experience that you have gained.
That being said, prioritize experience over your pay right now because this is the time to enrich your lives, and this is time to go out there and make the mistakes. When you are in the early stages of your career, the salary matters less than the quality of experience.
So, take a few risks and enjoy the process of learning and determine what direction you want to be heading towards.
