Excellence brings passion and the desire to wake up in the morning while settling for being average doesn't. Find your way to enjoy life, what fulfills your parents and your surroundings will probably not fulfill you. Working hard is difficult if the end goal doesn't mean anything to you. You won't feel proud of yourself until you accomplish something difficult and get rewarded for it. Working small jobs at a young age can reduce anxiety and stress related to life. Parents should trust and give more freedom, meaning responsibility, to their teens. A 14 years old can be more professional, driven, and courageous than a 22 years old. You can decide to be happy and make the most out of every situation by raising your awareness level. Moving out of your comfort zone and family allows you to expand both. Wonderful things aren't easy, easy things aren't wonderful. You aren't forced to bound with every person you meet, even at school or work. The path you are the most likely to follow is the one you chose. You will feel dumb until you find the thing you are made for. Gather experience in various environment before creating your own business. If you stay in a context where you feel trapped, you'll live a sad life. Technical jobs can be relaxing as, if you know what to do, your mind can wander. School teaches you the basics but doesn't make you useful in the professional world. Some people have a natural edge but only hard work matters. You rarely have the opportunity to work a lot in an amazing environment, embrace these periods when they come. The only way to reach excellence by only working from 9 to 5 is to stick to it for decades, hence the need to work more hours to become world-class. A great chef doesn't have to yell, he needs to be exemplary and hire people willing to learn. The tougher the work environment, the tighter the team. It is easy to spread yourself thin trying to do social media and consulting but you should stay focused on your core job: making cool stuff with a cool team for cool customers. You can't do everything alone, you must accept the fact that you need help and build a team of skilled like-minded people. Winning feels good, winning with unexpected difficulties feels better. Adjust your profession to the market, businesses spend mostly during the week and individuals spend mostly during the week-end. The best way to see your friends more when you work a lot is to hire them. No matter how much you love your work, you must keep time for your close ones. Follow, learn, and master the rules before you try to break them. You can only master what you understand, be curious.
Nina Métayer