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ATD Blog

Message to Millennials: Listen to Mark Cuban

Monday, October 22, 2012
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Fellow Millennials,

Unless the dream world you’ve been living in has the definitive end result of turning you into Mark Zuckerberg, you better listen up.

One of the 5 people, past or present, I chose to have at my Steven Covey 7 Habit’s “dinner table” is Mark Cuban, self made billionaire, Owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and star of my favorite show, Shark Tank,. Why? It’s because he’s single handedly provided me with some of the greatest advice I’ve ever gotten in my life. Read below.

“I hear it all the time from people. “I’m passionate about it.” “I’m not going to quit, It’s my passion”. Or I hear it as advice to students and others “Follow your passion”. What a bunch of BS.  ”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.

Why? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing.  We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.

Think about all the things you have been passionate about in your life. Think about all those passions that you considered making a career out of or building a company around.  How many were/are there ? Why did you bounce from one to another ?  Why were you not able to make a career or business out of any of those passions ? Or if you have been able to have some success, what was the key to the success.? Was it the passion or the effort you put in to your job or company ?

If you really want to know where you destiny lies, look at where you apply your time.

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Time is the most valuable asset you don’t own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you .

Let me make this as clear as possible:

1. When you work hard at something you become good at it.

2. When you become good at doing something, you will enjoy it more.

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3. When you enjoy doing something, there is a very good chance you will become passionate or more passionate about it

4. When you are good at something, passionate and work even harder to excel and be the best at it, good things happen.

Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.”

Thank you, Mark… I couldn’t have said it better myself. 

About the Author

Nandi Shareef serves as the Global Training Manager for one of the largest residential Clubs in the United States. In this position, and with it being the first of its kind, Nandi is charged with the ground up design and implementation of a global training plan for over 400 employees with the end goal of creating and establishing a regional service training academy. In her former position, Nandi served as the youngest director of a national learning center franchise where she facilitated the sustainment of a half million dollar business in the throes of an economic recession. In addition, Nandi provides pro bono consulting services for small businesses and non-profit organizations in strategic and business planning as well as career coaching to citizens in transition. Nandi received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. She serves as a Trustee for the Franklinton Center at Bricks and Vice President of her local ASTD and Toastmaster Chapters. She is also an avid playwright and performing arts show producer. Her PhD studies in Organization Development at Benedictine University focus on Millennials in Today’s New Normal Workplace.

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