Without realization, you technically are setting yourself up for the future around the time middle school starts. You might be a student athlete, a scholar student, or artistically gifted and have somewhat of an idea forming in your mind of what it is you want to do. It’s crazy to think that at 13-years-old, you have to start thinking about what you want in life. What career do you want to pursue? What are your hobbies? Any sports or clubs? What colleges are you interested in? How many APs are you wanting to take in high school? Are you going to volunteer around your community? What about a job? Getting your driver’s license? If so, what about a car? All these questions are overwhelming at 13, but it’s necessary and the more you grow older the more often these questions might change.

By your senior year in high school, you’re 18, or about to be, and now is when the life changing questions can happen. You have to perfect your SAT and ACT scores that are crucial to whatever college(s) you have set your eyes on. You also have to worry about financial aid and that whole ordeal with college. And if you’re an athlete, this is one of your last possible chances of getting recruited and to really get an idea of the athletic career you want.

When you hit that big 18, everything will start to change. You might begin to get this sense of, “I’m 18, and my parents aren’t in charge of me anymore. I can do whatever I want.” If you’re reading this please never abide by this because you’re parents truly know what’s best for you and if you can’t rely on them, listen to your friends. If your friends ever tell you one of your ideas is crazy, listen to them. They aren’t trying to ruin your life or be in control of it either. They might just seriously think you can get involved with some bad things that they originally told you not to get involved with. And no one likes receiving an, “I told you so.”

It’s weird to think about at such a young age, but what about your kids? Do you even want to have any? Your kids one day will look up to you and ask,”Hey what was it like when you were my age?” Yea, we’re bound to have mistakes in our lives, but think about the kind of life you want your kids to have. You’re going to be their biggest influence no matter what. Even if you don’t want and little monsters running around, it’s still important to set yourself up for success.

Success doesn’t mean money. When you graduate college, you’re going to be thrown out into the world expecting to know what you want. The most important thing is doing what you love. Yes, it’s cliché, but it’s true. Why would you want to spend a lifetime pursuing something you hate when you can be having fun in a field that you think is interesting? Nothing is going to come easy, but the satisfaction of working hard and doing something for yourself and finally getting a successful outcome is completely rewarding. No one becomes a CEO in one day without any hard work or effort to believe in yourself.

The only way you'll ever succeed in anything is by having the belief that you can be something more. If you limit yourself, you'll never decide to go the extra mile to truly explore the unknown. And without conquering that fear of rejection or failure lives in all of us, but it's necessary to experience or you won't feel the true happiness of finally achieving your dreams and making a name for yourself.

In the end, just worry about yourself. Take care of your values and dreams. Focus on what's going to make you happy, but do it with caution not with ignorance. Yes, the future is scary, but so is no future at all. Whether you go off and start a business or travel around the world it all come down to one question. Who do you want to see when you look in the mirror?