Teenagers and Decisions

Perhaps you are about to graduate High School. What’s next? The decisions you make now will eventually become your reality. The normal path to follow would be to choose a career with favorable pay, right? What college will you go to? What if I said you skipped a step? Maybe you should first consider how you are going to manage your money. If you can’t manage the money that career produces then what’s the point?

• 70% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck! So basically, 70% of Americans don’t manage their money.

In my opinion NOW is the time you need to learn goal setting. This is when you ask yourself specific questions to which the answers determine your goals. For instance, how do you want your success to look? If you could see yourself as successful, what would you see and what would you have to do to get there? Set some goals, have a plan, be ready! Successful people set goals and write them down. Set personal, financial, and spiritual goals! Where will you be in 5 years?

• “Goal setting should not mean hard work, it should mean enjoying yourself as you reach your vision. Getting what you really want should create enthusiasm and energy, not resistance and negativity.” www.success77.com

What do you want to be? Instead of picking something random because the pay is good, try choosing a vocation! Something you love! What would be your biggest contribution to others? If you are a Christian like me, how can you best serve God? Finding meaning and purpose in what you choose could make the difference between waking up on Monday morning hating where you are or enthusiastic about where you are going. The best book I have found to help in this area is 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller.

• “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work another day in your life.” -Confucius

Learn to manage your money, set goals, and choose a vocation! If you learn how to do these three things you may never have to know why most people HATE Mondays. With a money plan, clear goals, and a passion for your work, you may find life becomes more enjoyable. Just knowing what your path looks like provides a sense of security and confidence, not to mention hope!

I am currently working on all of these things myself. The only difference is I am 33 not 17 or 18. You do not have to give up having fun to create a better life for yourself. Everybody wants to have fun, but learning how to delay pleasure in order to be prepared and ready is a sign of maturity. Dave Ramsey often says, “Children do what feels good, adults devise a plan”. I have been a child for a long time, but now I have a plan!