I recently sat down with some of my friends and my 14 year old son. Feeling somewhat reverent and parental, I announced to my son, “I am going to reveal to you the only two things that you need to do to be successful. First, you need to learn the correct golf swing. Second, you need to play guitar in a band. The rest will take care of itself.”
Learning the correct golf swing when you are young avoids decades of trying to unlearn the wrong things. You will play well. You will get job offers, and promotions. You will impress your friends.
Playing in a band – no, not fantasizing about becoming the next American Idol – just playing in a high school/college band, is a foolproof way to meet girls. I play in a band, and married women throw their clothes at me! Laundry baskets full of them! And I am married and NOT available. And somewhat OLD! (but we are darn good…)
Golf takes care of the career. Band takes care of the women. The rest takes care of itself.
When you are a young professional, the two things are
1) Doing the right thing for yourself and for others, without expectation of any immediate gain, and
2) Following what you are most passionate about. The rest will take care of itself.
Careers are infinitely complex. Life is infinitely complex.
But most of the time, there are just two things.
What are the two most important things in your life right now?