Skills for the Future

As I have gotten older, I have learned that there is a large gap between the life that I remember as a kid and the life kids actually lead today. Due to technology and the rate at which it is changing, I am realizing that my boys’ future is going to look much different than my reality. When I think about my main responsibility as a dad, it’s to prepare my boys for life when they get older. One thing I make clear to them is that life doesn’t get easier, you just get stronger in your ability to deal with it.

When I researched what skills they could obtain that will help them the most, I found one line of work that would give them the most important skills across the board. It was Entrepreneurship. I feel like I’m not able to predict what the future job market is going to look like, but I think many jobs currently available will be taken by artificial intelligence. I believe the future for them will be for them to be their own bosses and own their own businesses - be entrepreneurs. If this is going to be the case, then I need to make sure to teach my boys as many skills and mindsets as I can to prepare them for their future. 

So I decided to line up the skills and mindsets I wanted them to learn for their future, skills and mindsets that are not only important in life, but specifically for entrepreneurs. Here’s a list of them that were most important to me:

• Don't take “no” for an answer
• Question everything
• Never assume
• Quality is everything 
• Say “please” and “thank you” often
• Make weaknesses strengths
• Collect feedback
• Focus on the customer
• Manage self-doubt
• Look for lessons in challenging times
• Visualize what you want
• Aim high
• You only fail if you don’t try
• Grit, perseverance, patience
• Leadership skills
• Integrity
• Negotiation and collaboration
• Think outside the box
• Accounting, finance, budgeting
• Philanthropy
• Communication
• How to help others succeed
• How not to internalize what others think of you 

As you can see, this list is LOOOOOOONG!!!! I didn't encourage reading the Jocko Willink book because it had this idea of entrepreneurship embedded in it. I just felt this was an idea I would talk to them about in the future. When it did come up, I still wasn’t sure what they could do. I honestly thought mowing lawns and snow blowing was going to be their first business. 

When Zach brought the box of sports cards to me I thought they were basically worthless, just as they had been for the last 30 years. 

But that’s when I found out cards have made a comeback in a MAJOR way!