5 Quotes For New Grads That Will Change Your Perspective On Work and Life
These are quotes that I will try to use to guide my decisions and thinking moving forward after graduating from Penn this May. Over the course of the past few months, most of the content I’ve been consuming can be categorized as “self-help,” whether it’s books, videos, or podcasts.
I’ve never been an avid reader but since graduating from undergrad this past May, there’s been a lingering voice within me that’s been whispering, “Hey, it’s time to get your life together.”
Though I wouldn’t say my life is necessarily falling apart, there are definitely areas where I can improve upon. This is especially true at what feels like, a pivotal moment in my life, as I am transitioning from school to work.
The first book I picked up after graduation was The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter-And How to Make the Most of Them Now by Meg Jay. It was recommended to me by a friend that I look up to a lot and it seemed like a fitting book to read given that I am, in fact, in my twenties now.
Since reading The Defining Decade, I’ve gone on to read a couple more books this summer. Alongside this, podcasts and videos have also been a great source of inspiration.
I wanted to take some time to reflect and take in what I’ve consumed, so here are some of my favorite quotes, in no particular order — ones I will try to use to guide my decisions as I navigate a new chapter of my life.
“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year, and underestimate what they can do in ten years”
Source: The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
At the beginning of every year, school semester, or some sort of “restart” point, I always jot down a long list of goals that I want to achieve. In some cases, I stick with them but, more often than not, after a couple of weeks or months, I will have completely fallen off course to achieving the goal.
For me, the problem is I usually don’t see enough progress immediately, leading me to feel discouraged to continue. This could be attributed to the planning fallacy or the lack of intrinsic motivation — however, I’m trying to shift my mindset in thinking more long-term and accepting that consistency and time will be a successful formula for most goals, even those which seem too lofty to even attempt.
“The sting of rejection is way better than the pain of regret”
Source: 28 Life Lessons from 28 Years in 28 Minutes by Ali Abdaal
Rejection is probably the thing that limits me the most, and a lot of other people the most.
The fear of not being “good” enough or worrying about how others might perceive you. Without this fear, I think I would have done a lot of things differently, whether it be activities I wish I did in high school or college, or opportunities and ideas that I passed up on.
However, thinking back to all the things I’ve said “no” to, I’ve realized that they were way bigger deals in my head than in reality and that even if I failed, so what? What’s more painful in the present is the feeling of not having pursued it and missing out on something that potentially could have been a great experience.
“Time is now currency, it is not passed but spent”
Source: The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
This quote stuck with me not only for its simplicity and elegance, but also for how accurately it depicts the reality that we live in today.
There’s nothing wrong with planning your day and having a calendar or scheduled events, but many times, when deciding if I should do something, I think to myself, is this worth the time spent on it? Or could I spend my time on something that’s more productive?
Yes, time is valuable and not something money can buy back. But, for me, I don’t want to have all my time allocated as some form of currency that I need to maximize. In order for me to feel in full control of my life and time, I need to be okay with passing time in a way that is not transactional, where if I spend x amount of time, I will get back y units of some reward.
“Doing even a small experiment is scary, but the payoff can be profound”
Source: The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
If you don’t try something, you won’t know how things may turn out.
As elaborated deeper in this book, many stories of successful people are portrayed as “leap of faiths” where they completely gave up everything to pursue their next project or passion. 99% of the time it’s not the case. They most likely started with small experiments that tested the waters — some experiments may have failed but others may have worked.
These small experiments may be scary, but they likely won’t hurt at all. So why not try it?
“Don’t ask for permission, ask for forgiveness”
Source: My anonymous, yet very wise, friend
This is one of the first pieces of advice I received when I asked a friend for tips for the workplace.
As I begin my first full-time job, a major challenge that I know I will need to overcome is to remind myself that I am no longer a student working with adults. I am one of the adults. This is not to say I shouldn’t be humble and have a learning mindset, but that I should also be confident in my own abilities.
I’m sure this will feel odd at first, given that for most of my life, I’ve been a student in school who needed permission from parents, teachers, or professors when in a professional or academic setting. This is why I’m trying to instill this idea in me, to trust my gut and judgment without seeking prior approval from others and to realize there’s no shame in asking for forgiveness later on.
Thank you for reading!
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