“I studied the greats, I’m the greatest right now…”
Middle Child | J. Cole
Graduation season is here again if you did not know! It’s kind of hard to miss the Instagram and Facebook photos of your followers and friends in their caps and gowns. I officially have been out of college for over a year now and I still get shocked by how long it has been. College life isn’t all about the academic piece in my opinion. Yes, we went to school for our degrees, but we also came out with life experiences. Whether that be, joining a sorority or fraternity, gaining lifelong friends, a new relationship, a new job, an apartment or most of all, creating memories that will last forever.
Life after graduation is scary. It’s going to hit you hard, but do not be afraid. Accept all blessings and hardships that are going to come your way. Keep reading below for tips on how to stay motivated upon graduating.
Tip #1: Be Humble.
Life doesn’t always go the way you want it to go, so be humble, although, be successful. If something doesn’t work out, look for a new solution. Don’t let it overwhelm you and get you down. Learn from it, embrace it, and overcome it. It going to take time and hard work for you to be where you want to be at in life.
Your twenties are meant for you to make mistakes so you can learn what not to do again. Accept your mistakes. Let me say this again, ACCEPT your mistakes. It happened and you cannot take it back, so why keep punishing yourself? It is what it is. Be humble about it. The only thing you can do moving further is to overcome that mistake. What are you going to do to fix it or make the situation better?
Tip #2: Network, Network, Network.
Wherever you go, network!
You will be surprise who you come across. Invited to a wedding? Mingle with the guests. Birthday party invitation? Go! Pop-up shop event? Attend it. You never know who you will come across. It’s going to help you in the end, because one day you could be looking for someone who knows how to take pictures or a DJ for your own wedding.
What if you wanted to pursue a Master’s degree to further your education? Who do you know that has completed the same field you’re interested in? Networking is so beneficial because it teaches you a lot about people and how they came across working or doing the things they do now. So many opportunities could be presented by you using the business card you received from so many people. Handle your business and cut them checks!
Tip #3: Invest in Me Time.
Upon graduating, the people you’ve met are going to become busy with their own ventures like new jobs, families, relocating, and so much more.
And so should you!
You are going to have a lot of time on your hands so it is best to begin focusing on yourself. Invest in me time to do the things you have been wanting to do for yourself. Focus on rekindling those relationships with your family members since you may have missed out on a lot on family functions. Focus on taking yourself out for once and try out that new restaurant you’ve been wanting to go too. Focus on taking a candle lit bath, infused with oils and scents to relax your body. Do the things that make you happy and make up for the loss time you’ve spent during your years obtaining that degree.
Tip 4: Stay Active!
I cannot stress this enough… stay active! If you haven’t found a job right after graduation, it can get repetitive of you waking up later in the day than at the normal 7AM or 8AM for school or work. It is so easy to fall into a slump by not wanting to do anything. You can work out, participate in a friendly sport, practice your hobbies, or even hang out with some friends. Go meet people! Anything to get you outside, because if you stay busy, you are guaranteed of staying active.
When I graduated, I was that person that went to work and came home and slept in till noon on the weekends. I was feeling the post grad blues because I didn’t know what to do with my life after graduating. I notice this started to effect how I felt on the inside and realized I had to do something about it. Why am I sitting in the house on a beautiful, sunny day? So I started to create a schedule for myself. I try to wake up at a reasonable hour on the weekends and cook breakfast. Then allocate some hours to blogging, working on my business, or even planning events with friends. Habits and routines can keep some of those blues away. Be active and make life enjoyable… remember, you make your own rules.
Tip 5: Find Something You Truly Love Doing.
Find your love for the game. When I say this, I mean find what you love doing. Planning on opening up your own business? Write out that business plan. Dreaming of traveling all over the country? Get a passport and find places where you want to go. Love watching cooking shows? Try preparing the meals you just saw! No matter how small or what the situation is, if there is something you love doing, do it! Take that free time to focus on a hobby or skill and do it.
I decided to turn my hobby, shopping on a budget, into a reality. I opened up my own business, Just Be You Fashion LLC by planning out my business plan in my free time and eventually making it happen. It turned into me wanting to blog more on a personal level so that my customers and followers can get to know me.
Imagine the amount of work you could get done, or a skill you could learn if you stick to it every day. I encourage you to write some of your own goals down. Whether it’s short-term or long-term goals, write it down. You’ll be surprise by some of the things you’ve always wanted to do and hopefully turn them into a reality.
Most of all, be proud of the huge accomplishment of graduating! You made it and now it’s time to face the world. What are some of your goals? What does success look like to you? Trust the process and timing of your life!
Be You, Do You —
