If 29 Year Old Me Were Coaching 21 Year Old Me… 

This is a Guest Post from a Dear Friend of Mine Whom I challenged to take up the challenge to Write for I knew she was a Natural….
Proof me wrong in this post if You can. She has asked that I publish this anonymously for now… Proud of you Fish!

1. Instead of trying to improve your weaknesses, focus on your strengths, develop them and form a game plan to use them more strategically in career, etc. You will spend years trying to rectify those so-called “developmental areas” and waste valuable time which could have been used to…invest in refining and “expertizing” your stronger assets.

2. Identify and understand your potential, then believe in it, believe in you and tackle the impossible. In knowing what you are capable of and backing yourself, you are able to see and strive for many more opportunities. Life IS what you make it, so make sure you search out and reach for greater possibilities. You have the talent, you have the ability – use what you’ve been blessed with.

3. Yes, you may not consider yourself a “career woman” or “climbing the corporate ladder”, and maybe your ultimate goal IS to be a housewife, but you may want to consider focusing on your career for just a minute, formulating a strategy and really searching out where you fit best and what would be best for you in relation to your talents, skills, desires, etc. If not, you will end up in “just-a-job”, hopelessly plugging away at paper pushing, totally un-engaged, focusing on your after-hours life, wishing that you had thought about this more strategically and with more vigor from the beginning. Not only that, but sometimes, fairy tales take longer to materialize than you think. At 30, your career might be the only thing you’re cuddling at night!

4. Learn to be disciplined. Yes, “creative you” does not ‘do’ disciplined, routine tasks, but it could just mean the difference between efficient, excelling you and downright “deurmekaar”, scatter-brained, “OMG! – look at her desk!” you. The older you are, the harder it becomes to cultivate this habit.

5. You will meet super-bitches and tyrants along the way, and they may have their own agendas (even against you) but it is more than okay to stand up for yourself, hell it’s downright necessary! Don’t be afraid of offending them, or scared that by speaking up you might lose your job. Honey, you’re probably going to surrender your job anyway; no one should have to put up with such treatment or toxic environments. And frankly, your Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills – the world is your oyster!