How to get my 14 yr old thinking towards fastlane

[skid2964]

I would like to get my 14 year old daughter headed in the right direction. Are there any books other than what we have all read here that I should start her on? Are there some books on the the subject of entrepreneurship that are actually authored for children?

 

[milesky]

I have a 16 years old brother and i do everything i can in order to make him think that way. I recommended him a few books but he gets borded within short period of time. What i realized is that it's better to create the right mindset through slight changes that might develop a new way of thinking. Maybe it's just my brother, but i think that it's better not to force them too much. Introduce small changes. Teach the discipline and habits. If one can see habit's influence on life it's only by one's realization. Show that actions took everyday (process) create great results (event). Though it's just my point of view.

 

[ZCP]

Best thing you can do to get them started.......

1. Have them set a goal for something they want and determine a cost ... (don't forget extra costs like insurance for cars or fees for PlayStation network)
2. Walk them through how much someone at a fast food restaurant makes vs take home vs what things cost......
3. Compare the number of hours of their time to the cost if they worked a wage per hour job.
4. Challenge them to come up with 'other ways'..... this will be a lot of fun and involve you and your child greatly.
5. Stake them in a small business or buy/sell type business evolving from their ideas.
6. Learn and have fun together.
7. Once they have created (notice the wording) a portion of their goal, match a percentage of it as a reward.
8. Come back to this thread and tell us how it went.

 

[Duane]

I am all for entrepreneurship, but she's 14... Let her enjoy her teenage years and be a kid, then when she's older and closing in on being an adult, see what interests her and support those dreams.

Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur. Definitely introduce her to the topic, but if it doesn't interest her, don't force her to be anything she doesn't want to be.

 

[skid2964]

I'm not trying to force or push my daughter into being an entrepreneur. The "system" in place in this world, as so thoroughly explained in MJ's books, pushes people into the slow lane. I am simply trying to introduce her to the fast lane, to show here there is a better way if she so chooses. If I don't show her, she will not know there is another choice. I am mainly looking for some reading or listening material geared towards young people. She has already expressed an interest in this alternative. Also, of course, I am setting an example, don't have the fruit on the tree at this moment, but I certainly will soon...

 

[Duane]

Books Fastlaners Recommend

 

[WJK]

I've raised two sets of kids... and the way I've done is to make them earn the money for all of their goodies. Yes, I could afford to have just bought them what they wanted, and it sure would have been easier on me.

I helped my boys. I made them up half-page fliers. I loan them my glass cleaner, paper towels and ladder, so they could wash windows for my neighbor in my complex. I taught them to do chores, and then to go do those chores for other people and make their money. I taught them to add value to every job they did. Yes, I worked at as hard as they did.

I tried very hard not to give them a false sense of the world. When my boys were young, I helped start a shelter for homeless women and children. I was Chairman of the Board for five years. When my boys got high and mighty, I took them there to help out.

At that time, I was also flipping houses, apartment buildings and small commercial building in the Los Angeles ghetto. I took them on job sites and "paid" them to help out.

Those experiences were an amazing push back on their youthful arrogance.

In the last few years, I did similar things with my stepchildren. I own a low to moderate income mobile home park.

My stepdaughter was so shocked that I go and open the Laundromat located in the park every morning, 365 days a year. "Even on Christmas?" she asked. "Even on your birthday!" she continued. To her amazement, her dad and I close and clean it every night as well. I retorted by asking if she brushed her teeth every day. When she affirmed, I explained that keeping the Laundromat open was on an equal footing.
(By the way, her birth mother thought I was crazy, but now she is appreciative of what I did with the kids.)
You're job is to teach and mold your daughter. Your goal should be to raise independent thinking, self-sufficient adult -- not one of these useless boomerang babies. I could tell you more, but this is enough for you to chew on.
www.wjkbusinessbuzz.com

 

[Roli]

I would like to get my 14 year old daughter headed in the right direction. Are there any books other than what we have all read here that I should start her on? Are there some books on the the subject of entrepreneurship that are actually authored for children?

1.Read Deep Work by Cal Davenport, and then work on her after that. In order for her to get on in the world of the future she needs to first increase her capacity to concentrate.

Google techniques for memorising a deck of cards, show it to her, tell her you'll give her some amazing reward if she manages to do it in 6 weeks (upping her concentration ninja style!)

2. Read Mindset by Carol Dweck

She (and you) need to understand the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset. You will see a massive difference in her performance by simply praising the effort she puts into a task, rather than the outcome.

3. Get rid of her smartphone, or at least any excessive devices, games and apps, these things are destroying her attention span, she will not have the capacity to take on anything difficult.

Clearly there are practicalities to consider when restricting a 14 year old's social media use, but find ways of rewarding her if she stays away from them.

4. Spend extended (non-screen) times with her, if you do already, stop eating in front of the TV and start to cut it out of your lives. Go for walks in nature with her and ask her stimulating questions.

5. Talk to her, tell her that this period is in preparation for standing on her own two feet. Talk about all the qualities that are going to help her in life. Explain the difference between a fastlane business and a job.

Most of all, let her know you'll support her whatever (I'm sure she knows already but reaffirm it) and make her understand that before she knows it she'll be 19-20 and it's best if she's still not wondering what to do at that point.

 

[DeletedUser052]

You can try this also

1. Teach her the philosophy - 'give to receive'

and

2. Lead her by example (if you understand what I mean)

For now, reading books can be pushed later, at least for a couple of years.

 

[ZCP]

Richest man in Babylon. (Great first book for anyone! Easy read)

RDPD. This is red pill, blue pill for many.

Get a copy of TMF and Unscripted and give them to her when she is ready.

 

[IGP]

Best thing you can do to get them started.......

1. Have them set a goal for something they want and determine a cost ... (don't forget extra costs like insurance for cars or fees for PlayStation network)
2. Walk them through how much someone at a fast food restaurant makes vs take home vs what things cost......
3. Compare the number of hours of their time to the cost if they worked a wage per hour job.
4. Challenge them to come up with 'other ways'..... this will be a lot of fun and involve you and your child greatly.
5. Stake them in a small business or buy/sell type business evolving from their ideas.
6. Learn and have fun together.
7. Once they have created (notice the wording) a portion of their goal, match a percentage of it as a reward.
8. Come back to this thread and tell us how it went.

Solid advice from the man that lives it... Agreed.

My oldest is only 9 and she learns by watching me and having discussions about ideas (daily).

This is not forced, just encouraged and ideas that are bad are talked about explained why they are bad and good ideas are re-enforced with why they are good.

Start with basics: cash flow, scale, bottlenecks, time value of money, etc.

The goal is just to get them to think critically, not to turn them into Elon Musk.

You are teaching life skills that they most certainly don't teach in schools, so the earlier the better!

 

[Solrac]

I think people (kids and adults alike) should figure it out on their own. Is that an unpopular opinion?

 

[DavidIonesi]

Not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur.

I don't know why but I started to get this feeling lately.

 

[IGP]

I don't know why but I started to get this feeling lately.

The world needs plenty of worker bees! That's for sure!

 

[ZCP]

I think people (kids and adults alike) should figure it out on their own. Is that an unpopular opinion?

Explain your line of thinking. (In a good way!)

 

[Solrac]

Explain your line of thinking. (In a good way!)

Yeah, I guess I'm inferring from my own experience. I live in a nicer part of the Orlando area, lotta money around here.

Now disclaimer, I do feel like these kids might react differently than kids that come from....not so modest beginnings. With that out of the way, I can't tell you the amount of times I've had wealthy, wealthy parents ask me "How can I motivate my son?". They see the drive that I have that GOT them to the places they are at.

It's almost like the kids don't care as much unless they genuinely wanted something more. Like I said, I know that's for kids that are wealthy, but I've seen that in kids that aren't either.

Every single time that I've met somebody (and that's a small sample size of course) that has tried to influence their kids to do certain things, it has backfired. They end up not liking said thing. Kids like to do the opposite it seems.

Very brief explanation on my POV, & I know my circumstances are different, I'm in a different area and that could skew everything. But that's just what I've encountered, and also I'm not a parent.

Thoughts?

 

[HugoMoreno]

Show her the rewards that come with entrepreneurship and she'll start asking you how to get those rewards and that's when you introduce her to videos that will help her

She'll fall in love with the rewards and then study entrepreneurship to get those rewards

"Pulling a string a long is easier than pushing it"

 

[ZF Lee]

I think people (kids and adults alike) should figure it out on their own. Is that an unpopular opinion?

I somehow agree here.

You can lead a horse to water, but the horse has to be thirsty enough to drink from it!

One of the issues of conventional education is that the kids may not feel a real need to study certain subjects like history or the sciences. Even though teacher may tell them that this subject is in high demand in the marketplace, the kids may not feel the pinch to deliver real-world value, to realise the value of that academic subject.

That is why you find some kids slipping behind in some subjects.

Anyway, school are never meant to be the only stop for education. It's supposed to START your learning process, and then you go find other things to fill up your appetite for knowledge. Something like an appetiser, leading to the main course.

I had to figure it out myself as well, but I'd like to think that you can gain more satisfaction from learning hard things without being spoonfed to.

Now disclaimer, I do feel like these kids might react differently than kids that come from....not so modest beginnings. With that out of the way, I can't tell you the amount of times I've had wealthy, wealthy parents ask me "How can I motivate my son?". They see the drive that I have that GOT them to the places they are at.

I used to think wealthy parents could pass down their experiences and skills down to their kids, since they were probably first-generation creators of the wealth. It was an advantage that could make them stand out.

I was often very wrong, when I met with the richer kids in my high school....

 

[Solrac]

I somehow agree here.

You can lead a horse to water, but the horse has to be thirsty enough to drink from it!

One of the issues of conventional education is that the kids may not feel a real need to study certain subjects like history or the sciences. Even though teacher may tell them that this subject is in high demand in the marketplace, the kids may not feel the pinch to deliver real-world value, to realise the value of that academic subject.

That is why you find some kids slipping behind in some subjects.

Anyway, school are never meant to be the only stop for education. It's supposed to START your learning process, and then you go find other things to fill up your appetite for knowledge. Something like an appetiser, leading to the main course.

I had to figure it out myself as well, but I'd like to think that you can gain more satisfaction from learning hard things without being spoonfed to.


I used to think wealthy parents could pass down their experiences and skills down to their kids, since they were probably first-generation creators of the wealth. It was an advantage that could make them stand out.

I was often very wrong, when I met with the richer kids in my high school....

I think this whole thing is very much in line with the parents wanting their kids to be a doctor or lawyer.

These professions were the rockstar professions years ago, and now playing entrepreneur is the new cool profession. I can't help but think there might be a similarity here.

 

[ZF Lee]

I think this whole thing is very much in line with the parents wanting their kids to be a doctor or lawyer.

These professions were the rockstar professions years ago, and now playing entrepreneur is the new cool profession. I can't help but think there might be a similarity here.

OK, one hint for the 14-year-old...

Ask yourself this, whenever someone asks you to choose something just because it is 'cool'':

'WHY is it cool?'

Is that profession 'cool' from the beginning? Or did some party just plastered a label called 'cool' onto the profession?

Understand that some of the most respected and valuable professions can be also some of the most challenging work that you could take up.

I remember a recent talk by a group of alumni entrepreneurs that came to my university. Three of them, all friends, and founders of their own companies.

The first two were very jovial. But the last one looked pretty wiped-out and serious. I somehow could tell that he must have had a series of fierce blows that we regularly hear of in TFLF.

In the Q&A session after the talk, someone asked them what was the most important thing in the business.

The others talked about the regular startup 'frankenphrases' such as environment and company culture. But the third guy, looking very solemn, simply said, 'CASH. What activities bring you cash? Cash runs the business. You need cash to hire and keep the lights on.'

Then he went on to lament on how he had so little knowledge of accounting and financial matters in the beginning, that he ran into quite some mistakes. I decided not to ask what they were!

Speaking of challenges, I had the good fortune of having such a honest entrepreneur actually sharing me direct facts from his work. But for many others, when it comes down to making important life-changing decisions, they do not get all the information they need to make a good choice.

TLDR: When making decisions, especially on career and education choices, you can listen to experts, but always verify and find information as close and relevant as they can be, to the source or root of your issue, on your own.

 

[Envision]

The best way my dad got me into business and entreprenuership was after I showed an interest in making money. He said I should read rich dad poor dad, think and grow rich, and how to win friends and influence people. I'd throw in TMF today if it were my son as well.

Then he kind of just supported any stupid, crazy ideas I had and helped me where he could. But i took the initiative and I did it my way. He also took me to Tony Robbins UPW when I was like 17 and that really lit a fire under my a$$ in terms of taking action and learning.

 

[Roli]

The goal is just to get them to think critically, not to turn them into Elon Musk.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This!!

Thought I would amend very slightly to:

The goal is just to get them to think critically, not necessarily to turn them into Elon Musk

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

The best way to influence your children in a positive way is being a good role model. If you don't live the fastlane life style and just hope your child will do it. You won't be successful.

Ask yourself why do you want to push your child this way? Is the easy way of being "successful" because you live your own dream of Fastlane through your child?

If you live as child in an environment where your father and mother are doctors. You become also one. Because it's normal for you.

It doesn't matter how old we are. We will always focus on our parents. Imitating there behaviour.

Like in Germany 70-80% of students have an academic background in their family. And you can study in Germany for free!

If your parents slaughtering 10 hours a day animals. It is most likely you will do that same or you stay in the same income group but doing something different.

Change yourself as a father and your child will automatically follow you.

 

[Process]

I would not have cared about the Fastlane if it wasn’t for bad rxperiences.

School sucked my soul and time. So did crap jobs. It forced me to find a better way.

Most stay in comfort until they’re forced to move through the flames...

 

[Jon Rad]

So the way i got Introduced to entrepreneurship at i think also 14 was trugh an audiobook snippet that my Brother send to me via Whatsapp.

The book was a German Book called "Die Gesetzte der Gewinner" or "The winners Laws"

Whats special about this book is that its designed to be listened to in 30 days or so so you listen to every chapter, or law one day at a time.

This is the perfect book for someone that has never touched any books outside from schoolbooks in my opinion.

While you probably shouldnt take all the Direct Buisiness Advice from that guy he has a great way of presenting all the fundemental mindsets of succesfull people in an easy to understand way.

That guy also wrote a book for Kids called "A Dog named Money" or "Ein Hund namens Money"

its a book for 7-12 yo kids i think, teaching the importance of money and its role in life

I recently read some of it.

Another way of getting young people to read is looking for succesfull rolemodels for example : Rappers or other musicians actors etc. who wrote books or are producing Youtube Videos on the topics.


example: German Rapper Kollegah "Das ist Alpha" Book

German Youtuber "Tryhard generation Youtube why your luck is no coincidence"

This whole Entrepreneurship thing is a huge upcoming trend bc many people can make money of it so beware that she doesent fall for one of thoose shortcut scams or is fed the wrong information that certainly hurt me quite a bit.

other than that Lead by Example

I wish you all the best.