Do things that matter.

Passivity is the fastest way to stay exactly where you are.

So you've entered the world of college. In an attempt to engage yourself, you joined a club. Cool. You went to a couple of their events throughout the year. They liked you and asked you to apply for their board. Awesome. You snagged VP. Wonderful.

Then it was your turn. So you planned out a few events with your board and threw a couple events. People showed up. You asked a few of them to apply for the board. They got in. Fantastic. Be proud of them.

What did you just do?

You went through a cycle. Now you’re sitting comfortably at the top.
At the top of what, you have no idea.

As a college student, I've observed my fair share of extracurricular clubs and initiatives. Their mission statements are commendable. A lot of them are filled with great minds who have many ideas and a burning passion to do good. The problem with the vast majority of these organizations is that they exist simply to fill a void. For some, it’s having something on their resume in an attempt to impress people they don’t know so they can land a job they might hate. For others, it’s conversation material because they’re not actually doing anything worth talking about.

Zero percent of what you do should be there to fill a void.

I overheard someone the other day. Their rambling went something along the lines of “Yeah, I talked to the social chair of X organization, they want to partner up with our club! I’m also talking to the secretary of Z organization tomorrow so that we can establish good relations for future events.”

What?

Don’t talk. Do.

I have a certain group of friends who shared a passion and a drive for something. I joined them because they inspired that same passion in me. In a matter of months, they fundamentally altered our university with their initiatives, and have built a future for themselves through it. I am currently sitting across a few of them in the incredible room that the university administration gave them to aid them in furthering these initiatives. I have never witnessed such a rapid rise in my life. And it stemmed entirely from their will to build.

You’re busy. I know. We’re all busy. This is exactly why you should value every instant of free time you have. You need to assess where your time is going, and cut out every single thing that is leeching from your life. It adds up. Put that time toward building something. It need not be physical. It could be an app, it could be a movement. Just build.

There are several people in my life, such as the ones above, who prioritize their work and their goals above all else. They don’t care for sleep. They’re always doing something that directly contributes to the idea they’re building. I refer to these people as high-impact individuals. When you’re in a room with any of them, you can feel an electric aura of imminent success in the air. Surround yourself with these individuals. They will drive you to succeed and will aid you in your goals in some significant capacity. This aura will embrace you, and it will assimilate you. And you will gradually become one of them.

Take some time to step back and analyze your daily routine. What makes these brilliant people tick is that they allocate time for something they’re passionate about. To emulate their drive, you need to be taking some time to explore your own mind’s desires and fulfilling your passion. Time is a nonrenewable resource. Don’t spend it obligating superficial needs.

Build your own empire instead.