What would you do at 16?

[MJ DeMarco]

Look at life as a game where your objective is to win your freedom.

You begin the game enslaved, ordained to servitude sanctified by culture, tradition, and social mores.

Your objective in the game is to escape enslavement by sorting out the rules and propaganda that govern the game, which to ignore, which to leverage, and which to defy. In this game you collect experience points (failures, successes), gold (money), tools, assets, and tweak your character skills (learning new things).

Begin knowing that your knowledge of this game is half the battle -- those trapped in the game have no idea they're being gamed.

 

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[Vigilante]

I'd live life as if it were there for me to conquer it. I'd study, party, and respect my parents.

Business can wait. I'd enjoy being 16 and not take myself too seriously.

Relax.

 

[jon.a]

Youth is wasted on the young.

 

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[Silverhawk851]

Learn sales.
Train Jiu Jitsu+Muay thai.
Read.
Relax.
Make mistakes.
Make a lot of mistakes. Fast.
Learn from every mistake.
Party it up.
Make friends.
Talk to every girl.
Join a sports team.
Tell my dream-stealing guidance counselor to F*ck off. Again.

 

[G-Man]

Find something and master it.

It could be an entrepreneurial skill, a musical instrument, a foreign language, any number of things.

By achieving excellence in something you'll develop an ingrained belief that you can conquer anything you really go after.

 

[PTP]

1) Public speaking. The benefit from not being afraid to go and talk to people is HUGE. Business is all about meeting people. Before you can sell you need to be comfortable talking.

2) Start some form of a business with the only goal being to learn about how to run a business. When you make money it will be an added bonus, but dont stress so much about earning $X.

When you dont focus on money at first, you will be more willing to take risks and try things out. The risks are where you are going to learn things you can apply to later ventures.

 

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[Ubermensch]

Look at life as a game where your objective is to win your freedom.

Interesting theme, phrasing life as a "game."

-- those trapped in the game have no idea they're being gamed.

Just as those trapped in "The Matrix" have no idea that they are trapped in "The Matrix."

Your objective in the game is to escape enslavement by sorting out the rules and propaganda that govern the game

I think you nailed it here, and herein lies the challenge for many people: The process of "sorting out the rules and propaganda that govern the game" is itself an action; it is a conscious thought process that, if properly done, eliminates bullshit and hones in on the truth.

While books like 48 Laws of Power or Think and Grow Rich can certainly help us out philosophically and even mentally with focus and awareness, @Ubermensch regards TMF as the most helpful book for hustlers, based solely on the high degree of practical information. Simply put, no other book in existence describes the "how" of making money so... simply.

It would be interesting to perform some TMF case studies and draw correlations between a company's success (in terms of revenue, profit, market share captured, etc) and its alignment with CENTS.

 

[Kak]

pay attention to only two subjects in school; foreign languages and perhaps economics. I would start working on a trade/skill that can enable me to work even as early as 9-10 (a trade would be better since most state laws claim that you need to be 16 just to start working at a min. wage job)

WTF?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Try remembering this as a youngster...

 

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[JSM]

What would you do if you were 16 right now?
What skills would you learn? Would you start a business? Would you go to college after graduating?
Answer these and drop any more helpful info. Hopefully this thread can help out some young entrepreneurs out there.

 

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[YoungBroward]

I'm 16 right now, I study, party, hang out with friends, and have a business, I only work usually like an hour or maybe two a day, but I find that hour to be the part of the day I look forward to. My grades have actually been dropping because of lack of focus in school lately, I feel like all I can think about is the next move I'm going to make in my business, which can be a bad thing. But on a good note I no longer have to ask my parents to pay for me to eat out, ask them to buy me stuff that I really want, or have them transfer me money all the time. My only regret was I didnt start earlier. If I were you I would START NOW on learning and try to take a stab at starting up something. Maybe try flipping on craigslist, or look into importing ( both something you can start with very little money). But let me warn you, once you get your first customer, you might become addicted

 

[ApparentHorizon]

What would you do if you were 16 right now?
What skills would you learn? Would you start a business? Would you go to college after graduating?
Answer these and drop any more helpful info. Hopefully this thread can help out some young entrepreneurs out there.

Learn sales: candy, drinks, mechanical pencils, pens. Careful not to get caught by admin, they don't like competition
Learn networking: join clubs, organize school events, fundraisers

 

[Tomekmeister]

do your best not to take romantic relationships toooo seriously, so many young people (I did it when I was 16!) give up a lot of time, experiences and personal development trying to keep someone else happy.

I believe you couldn't have been more wrong.

Maintaining a serious relationship since I was 13 (a total of slightly over 5 years now) taught me more lessons than anything else in my life. It made me more mature and showed that once "you've made it", you still have to put in the work to keep the results. It taught me that everything worth having in life requires consistency, care, focus and it never comes easy!

It's just as being a successful entrepreneur.
When you're at the beginning, you're told that you won't make it. You're too young, too immature, inexperienced etc. When you finally make it, people try to justify your success by luck.

Right now I get told that I'm lucky.
All the friends are like "Awww, I wish I was lucky enough to find THE ONE too". Let me tell you one thing, believe it or not, but there is no such thing as "soulmate". Every relationship requires tremendous amount of work. You go clubbing every week to bang easy chicks and yet you expect to find a "true love"? Come on bro.

Maybe I am lucky, in fact, I am the luckiest man alive, but that didn't come easy. Hundreds of fights, tears, even breakups made me the person I am today.

Honestly I could name a 100 lessons I've learned, but I think you get the point.

PS: Do you know how uplifting it is when of all people that crossed you out, there's still that 1 person that believes in you, even though you've lost hope yourself?

 

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[V8Bill]

I've lived to 16 3.25 times already and...
At 16 I'd want to believe that I have the ability to do mighty things.
At 16 I'd want to believe that what people say to keep me down says more about them than it does about me.
At 16 I'd want to know in my heart that I'm not only capable of great things I'm destined for them and they are waiting patiently for me.
At 16 I'd want to know that drinking and smoking too much is a bad thing and not cool at all.

 

[Leo Hendrix]

Begin mastering a skill.

 

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[JAJT]

Learn to socialize and work on any anxieties you have.

Nothing will cripple you later in life like the inability to properly communicate with others or any other irrational anxieties you've collected up to this point. The number of people today who need to build themselves up to pick up the phone to make a dinner reservation who then end up hanging up with their heart pounding is alarming at best.

 

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[GuestUserX09]

I would get really good at a few relating things that people above 30 years old are afraid of, confused by, or think is below them.

Don't worry about enjoying being 16 too much.. I personally wish I cared less about friends and entertainment back then and invested more into expertise. It was fun and all but the real value there is minimal compared to other things I could have been doing.

 

[ljb7]

I started my 1st business at 16. I failed a lot that year. At 17, it picked up. I made some good change. Got hugely scammed by a friend. It failed when I hit 18. Put it down to lack of control and getting sidetracked by 1st year of college.

Left college after 6 months. Met a girl (mistake). Started a new business (ecommerce). Failed the shit out of for 9 months. Reduced to the last little bit of money I had from my previous biz. Then it turned around. Picked up. I made products from my home for almost a year to save on costs. When it grew too big, I outsourced (best decision ever).

Moved to another country at 20. Biz continues to expand year on year (7 figures now). Launching new brands left and right. I'm launching a service in my new country mid-November... Huge potential. I just turned 22.

Judging purely from my own experience of starting my journey at 16... the best advice is just to start something. Work smart and persevere. The advice is thrown around a lot... for good reason. I wasn't an 'entrepreneur' to begin with, but now my mind works like one. And you could say I'm obsessed (in a good way).

I put off things like travelling because I knew that once I got to a point, I'd be able to do it without a worry. And I did, this summer. Visited some new places. Never had to give it a second thought. Now I'm deciding on where to move next... USA? Europe? Asia?

And the funny thing is, I'm not hyper dedicated (at least anymore). My current business operates without my input (other than an hour a day, maybe). Of course, if I want it to expand I have to put in the hours, which is fine... because its fun building something that continues to spit money back at you. I've had gaps (especially at the beginning) where I put things to the side. I really got serious after failing at ecommerce for 9 months and it turning around. Being an entrepreneur is a learnt thing and I wholeheartedly vouch for that... so just start.

 

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[throttleforward]

Look at life as a game where your objective is to win your freedom.

You begin the game enslaved, ordained to servitude sanctified by culture, tradition, and social mores.

Your objective in the game is to escape enslavement by sorting out the rules and propaganda that govern the game, which to ignore, which to leverage, and which to defy. In this game you collect experience points (failures, successes), gold (money), tools, assets, and tweak your character skills (learning new things).

Begin knowing that your knowledge of this game is half the battle -- those trapped in the game have no idea they're being gamed.

I think this carries over into industries.

Once you start to learn the "game" of an industry, you're way ahead of even most employees in that game.

I'm currently working in the international weapon sales game. You wouldn't believe how many little companies make amazing products, yet have no idea how to get clearance to sell them internationally. Folks in my office routinely leave to either consult for high 6-figure sums, or are hired as senior VPs at major defense contractors. None of it is rocket science...they just know the game (and get paid handsomely for it).

If you can one-up the game and change the rules slightly (say, create an IT system or course that helps companies avoid paying consultants in my weapons game), you can make a fortune.

 

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[luniac]

I'd do what i'm doing now but not as intensely.
I wish i knew about fastlane at 16, i'd never have gone to college...
You got the world at your fingertips kid.

 

[McFirewavesJr]

I'd focus on getting a safe corporate job with great benefits as fast as possible, then buy a nice house and use a home equity credit line to get IKEA furniture, a new car and that sweet refrigerator with a ice cube maker on it. I'd go to Cancun once a year, TGIF and watch celebrity gossip on TV at night to relax. Safely climbing the corporate ladder until I get to glide in the sunset with my golden parachute at 70 and start enjoying the money I've been stashing in mutual funds for decades.

I think nothing can stir you on the Fastlane faster than getting a taste of its counter part. If it doesn't, I don't think you'll ever get it.

 

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[dave773]

Look at life as a game where your objective is to win your freedom.

You begin the game enslaved, ordained to servitude sanctified by culture, tradition, and social mores.

Your objective in the game is to escape enslavement by sorting out the rules and propaganda that govern the game, which to ignore, which to leverage, and which to defy. In this game you collect experience points (failures, successes), gold (money), tools, assets, and tweak your character skills (learning new things).

Begin knowing that your knowledge of this game is half the battle -- those trapped in the game have no idea they're being gamed.

Was this ever a featured post? It should be. Or made into a movie, one of the two.

 

[Guest34764]

Turning 17 next month though I've had a good year of learning and a bit of action so I don't regret anything.There is some stuff I'd change but If I couldn't I wouldn't regret it.

If you're 16 just focus on making value all by yourself, without help.The more you throw yourself at the deep end the better you'll get at swimming.Creating a school club focused on business could be super beneficial too.I just recently started an Entrepreneurship club and our first meeting is next Tuesday, This will be the last big event of my 16th year as I intend to maintain it all the way to graduation.I'll update you guys with what happened.

Like others have said though, take time to enjoy yourself you won't be a teenager forever.

 

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[Hassassin]

At 16?

I wish I remembered this simple piece of advice:

"Just start, worry about the rest later."

For example, when I was 16 I wanted to earn money writing online. For two years I just thought about it, until I came across this article by MJ...

"How to accomplish anything big in life without being swallowed"

Read it.

It stressed putting one step in front of the other. So that's what I did. I wanted to get better at blogging online, and the best course out there on the subject costed about $500.

I thought back to the article "one step at a time". So I got a job making pizzas for $4/hour, I did it for a year, and bought the course. That course then propelled me further into the blogging world.

I published my first few posts on reputable sites. I just focused on one small step at a time, and moving a little forward, each day. ( I would write for 1 hour a day and reward myself for it by playing saints row 3 ).

Small action?

Yes. But it snowballed into improving my writing and building discipline. Trust me, baby steps work. Just chip away constantly at what you do and never give up!

Baby steps add up over time.

 

[startinup]

Take action...

16 was not that long ago for me, and I don't have any regrets really because I like where I am.

With that said, I did too much research and analysis and did not take enough action.

Focus on developing social skills:
Once learned these will serve you for the rest of your life (so long as you don't become a cave troll and avoid social interaction) and the will be extremely valuable regardless of what you decide to do.

• Be more forward with girls. Talk. Touch. Ask on dates. Just do it. (If you are a girl, find out how you can attract guys to you and get them to talk to you)
• Experiment with how you act around friends, push the limits and find out how to add value in conversations and make people feel good.
• Talk to lots of different types of people and be friendly to all of them. Don't limit yourself to one group of friends. The more you branch out, the more adept you will be in all different types of social situations.

Work at more jobs:
More jobs? On an entrepreneurship forum? Of course! The only way to find out that if you hate having a boss is to work for some bosses. See what they are like...

Do you like being told what to do? Are you ok with it? Figuring out if you are fit to be an employee or not will give you clarity and enable you to start earlier on whichever path you choose.

As a side bonus, you'll have some money to go out with friends and have more experiences.

Learn outside of school:
It doesn't have to be about business. Just learn new things and realize that the classroom is not the only place to learn, and if you are like me, it is an awful way for you to learn anyway.

Play new sports. Do new things. Don't let fear hold you back. Take chances and figure out what you like to do. Learn by doing!

-----

You'll learn more from taking action and experimenting then you will from school, the internet, or even books. Start personal growth earlier than most.

Take action!

 

[458]

Have one focus.

 

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[Chinobey]

Start saving money instead of wasting it on shit ill never use again.

 

[jkennedy]

I have a friend named Temper Thompson.
He started out at 16 selling kindle books on Amazon and automating the entire process (he didn't write them).
He was making 6 figures a year at 17 and now at 19 (I think) he is doing over $100k per month from passive book sales on Kindle.

I've had the privilege to meet him in person on multiple occasions and the kid is extremely bright.
I would recommend looking him up, you'll find some of his training on how he does it and I would also try to reach out and connect with him as a friend & student.

 

[amp0193]

All I was doing was playing games and messing around, what a joke.

Same here man.

But it's ok.

The choices we make bring us to where we are.

No need for regrets, just move forward now that you know better.

 

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[Bearcorp]

Ah to be 16 again... do your best not to take romantic relationships toooo seriously, so many young people (I did it when I was 16!) give up a lot of time, experiences and personal development trying to keep someone else happy. Focus on your happiness, and if you meet someone thats compatible with that then enjoy the experience!

Don't feel like any job is beneath you, earning money, working with people and for people is fantastic, working at KFC for 6 months at 15 taught me more about customer service, efficient processes, managing other workers, then I could of ever learnt at school.

Have fun!! its a great age to be, the worlds at your feet.