By Phil Harwood

I always enjoy the “what I would tell my younger self” articles from famous people. Inevitably, they are filled with cautionary advice about how to steer clear of the mistakes that have been haunting this person ever since. I wonder if their advice would have been listened to or ignored, and how much different this person’s life might be today if they had taken to heart the advice of their older, wiser selves.

When I think of my own life, I wish I could have avoided making some of the mistakes I made. I wish I had known what I know now. I would have made very different choices along the way and probably would have fewer regrets. If only I had a mentor or coach, guiding me every step of the way…

Some of you are at the early stages of your careers. You want to make good choices. You want to be able to look back on your career some day and be proud of what you accomplished. You want to have few regrets. You’re at the beginning of a journey that will encompass the next 20, 30, or maybe even 40 years. You’re on the journey toward becoming a professional.

When you were younger, and maybe until recently, nobody expected you to act like a professional. You might have been the most unprofessional person around. But something has changed and you’re ready to put away the immaturity and grow up; to become the person you want to be.

This happens at different stages of life for different people. It’s not about age; it’s about the type of person you are striving to become. The reality is that you are always moving toward becoming either a better version or a worse version of yourself. Regardless of how unprofessional you have been in the past, you can start becoming a professional person right now. It’s a decision you make. It’s a commitment to being a better person, for your own benefit and for the benefit of everyone in your life who loves you and is counting on you. Is today the day you will make this commitment?

We have developed an online educational course containing 20 unique classes on becoming a professional. This course is currently available at GrowTheBench.com, either as a stand-alone course or as part of a monthly subscription. Who do you know and care about that would benefit from taking this course? Would you?   

Comments are always appreciated via email at Phil@GrowTheBench.com.