Yesterday I shared four lessons I have learned on my journey from working on a campus to working for myself. Today, I have three additional lessons for your consideration as to how they may apply in your life:
- Lesson 5: Be like Shonda Rhimes and “say yes” to opportunities that scare you. The Pecha Kucha l did last year was so far out of my comfort zone. I said yes to write a $2 million grant before I knew what a logic model was. I wrote fund raising copy for the first time. I am teaching a new business communications course this summer. Say YES, and then figure out how to do it.
- Lesson 6: Save as much as you can now and live well within your means. Having a nest egg creates a world of options for you and greatly reduces your stress, in both the short and long term. The more you save now, the more freedom you have later.
- Lesson 7: There is great value to in-person social connections. I have three friends that have become my “de facto board of directors”. We meet monthly in a tiny pizza joint for “Seinfeld-esque” lunches that have kept me sane. Cultivate friendships outside of work. Initiate these connections. Treasure them.
Whether you remember any of these specific lessons or not, I hope you remember the general theme that you control your own destiny. To paraphrase a Henry Ford quote: “If you think you’re happy or miserable, you’re right.” You can be happy anywhere and miserable anywhere. The choice to make lemonade is up to you.