Letter to an 18-year-old on the Career Path Less Traveled

By Leo Babauta Recently an 18-year-old who is finishing school wrote to me, asking for advice on choosing a career without enough life and work experience to make an intelligent decision. He said, “Should I take the road less traveled, which may be risky and fearful, or choose a college course that interests me to some degree and see where that leads to. I suppose I don’t want to end up as the typical everyday-joe at the office from 9-5. I want to be different from the masses, to make an impact on this world, to be fulfilled. How do I get the best start into adulthood?” It’s such a great question. And what I love is that he’s asking the question in the first place — most 18-year-olds just take the safe route. Here’s what I’d say: take the career path less traveled. If you don’t want to be the typical Everyday Joe, in a 9-to-5 office job, don’t go the route that everybody else takes. If you want to be different than the masses, you have to take a different path. I took the safe path when I was 18, and got a job and went to college, and it didn’t screw me up … but it also took me nearly 20 years before I finally found what I loved to do. It was a struggle, being on the road that’s well traveled, because I was consigned to a career I didn’t really like. Yes, the career path less traveled is scarier. There are no guarantees. You are sticking your neck out, taking risks, being different, pr...
Source: Zen Habits - Category: Life Coaches Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs