In “The Future of School” I share my biggest regret:
“I wish I had more confidence, and earlier, about going my own way.”
It took me a long time to realize that all the things I thought and did differently weren’t things I should try to shut down, hide, or change. They were my greatest strengths.
When you’re 14, 16, or 18, all the world seems to be screaming at you to look like the average of some aggregate. Well-meaning teachers, parents, coaches, relatives, and friends want to know how you stack up on a series of “normal” indicators of status and ability. They want you to know the stuff everyone else your age knows, and do the stuff everyone else your age does.
But the reality is that it’s the “Crazy Ones” who change the world. It’s those who gain the courage and confidence to not suppress their unique take; their hacks and workarounds; their weird approaches and unconventional interests and solutions. These are the makings of an entrepreneur.
And let’s be clear: entrepreneurship is the greatest single skill needed for the present and future marketplace. Machines and software are taking off like never before, and they can follow rules and obey orders and perform rote tasks better than humans. This is not cause for concern, but a huge opportunity. It frees up humans to do what only humans can: creatively problem solve, innovate, experiment, and adapt.
But it does mean that the vast majority of what’s taught in traditional education settings is of little and decreasing value. Knowledge of facts is nearly obsolete. We have Google. Memorization is silly when we have unlimited digital storage. Following the crowd kills the best instincts and opportunities for value creation. We need to re-ignite the entrepreneurial spark that everyone is born with.
That’s why we’ve built a 60-day entrepreneurship eCourse for teens. It all begins with a mindset. The mindset I wish I would have found sooner. The mindset that says your best assets are your most unique attributes. It’s about turning your creativity into a discipline. It’s about becoming a self-directed, perpetual learner. It’s about experimentation, trial and error, and approaching life like a game.
This course is hard. You could easily scan it and gain a few bits of wisdom. But that’s not what it’s built for. It’s built for an intensive 60 days. It’s built to make you a little uncomfortable as you learn to explore your own strengths, weaknesses, and passions, build a basic website, and share your ideas and lessons learned along the way. If you go through it – really go through it and complete every part – you will absolutely walk away a different person, closer to your goals and the life you want to live.
If you complete the whole thing we’ll be impressed. In fact, we’re giving you a free coaching session with course creator and Praxis Education Director T.K. Coleman if you do. You think you can do it?
You don’t need to have that big business idea to begin on the entrepreneurial journey. It starts by becoming the type of person who is ready and able to seize the moment when that big idea comes. It starts now.
Are you ready?
