Not knowing what you’re doing can be a great thing. Many people fear the unknown, but the great ones embrace it as an opportunity for both professional and personal growth. As an employee, entrepreneur, or private individual you should take advantage of new challenges as a new frontier, a path to future riches.
Early on in my career I knew I was in over my head. I had joined up with a startup company and suddenly realized that taking on a lot of responsibility at a young age was the norm in this businesses culture. I was terrified – shocked that a company would trust just a kid with millions of dollars worth of business in addition to managing a cohort of up and coming employees.
It was, and continues to be, the best experience of my life. Recently I successfully completed completed a major implementation for one of my customers and gentlemen from the “other” side of the table came up to me, shook my hand, and expressed how good of a job I did…and then explained how he was old enough to be my dad (while shaking his head). The thing is that no matter what your age is, age doesn’t matter. Too young, too old, just right – nothing matters except the ability to form logical statements and showing the ability to utilize your resources. Do your homework, work harder than everyone, and prepare for the unknown. Just know that even after all of that preparation, you’ll still need to navigate unknown environments, and that’s what makes life interesting.
Diving head first into seemingly madness filled environments and coming out the other side in one piece is what will set you apart from the herd. Don’t fear the unknown & don’t fear what you don’t know or what you think you know. Take on the projects no one dares to take. Volunteer for every opportunity you possibly can. Show the ability to outwork everybody and hold yourself to a higher standard than you ever thought possible. You’ll soon learn that you can achieve anything that is thrown at you, and that fear will subside and be replaced by a feeling of enjoyment and fun.
Wing it & don’t be afraid. Plan your attack and seek counsel as needed, but be bold in your willingness to move beyond your boundaries. Be the ultimate man or woman and go for it & don’t look back.