I love getting emails from readers telling me how the information on this site has helped them with their current situation.

One email I got was from a reader named Mike and he’s been in contact with me a few times regarding the MITs I send out in my VIP newsletter.

Apparently, he’s a big fan of them and he emailed me a couple of weeks ago to tell me that the MITs have helped him get to where he is right now.

When I learned about his story, I asked him if he would like to share his story on this blog and he agreed so I sent him a list of questions to help guide his story and below are the answers that he emailed back. I think many readers, especially the younger ones will relate to some of what he has to say and benefit from his advice as well.

I want to thank Mike for taking the time to do this. I really appreciate it.

Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

I guess to look at what has changed we have to start back a ways…like when I was in high school.

I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. I played in concert band, and orchestra and did technical work on the plays and enjoyed all of it, but I really had no direction. After graduating high school, I had no idea where I wanted to go or do. The only thing I did know, was that I wanted to keep playing the trombone. I heard through the grapevine that a school in MN here had an awesome Jazz program. So I applied, the only school I applied to, and got in. I got in without even meeting the required pre-reqs for classes. In any case, I was going to college.

My first year was a bust. Beer, parties, and a complete lack of class attendance. I was the wonderful major of “undecided” and was comfortable with that. End of freshman year, and beginning of sophomore, I decided I wanted to graduate with a Political Science degree. All my friends were, so why didn’t I? That went all right, good classes, good people and one of the greatest professors. A few of those classes, and I realized, this was not for me.

I had always had a hobby of computers, but I never even considered it for a profession, or a major. Talking with my advisor and someone who I learned a great deal from, we decided to give my hobby a shot at some formal education, that might fit me better then the poli. sci. Turns out…it did. I entered the program a little late so some classes I should have taken, were not. But that’s OK. I made up for the most part what I missed. The thing is, is that to graduate with a Computer Science degree, I would have had to stay another semester on top of the 5 I had all ready been there. This was due to class schedules and times classes were offered. So…being in a state school, and in a liberal arts one at that, I made my own major. Actually it’s an area of emphasis, but none the less, I made it. ‘Technology in Politics’ is what it is called. My senior seminar was given to both Political Science, and Computer Science professors. It was an analysis of electronic voting. The types, is it a possibility, should we do it. What kind of political ramifications there are etc. It went well, obviously, I graduated.

I began working at a national restaurant chain doing there Point of Sale installation and support. It was a great company, and I liked the people I worked with, but the hours were horrible. A salary position, working 50 hour weeks in the office, and then I would have to be on call for a month at a time and be available and next to a Internet connection till 10 pm. And 7 - 11 on weekends. Not my idea of what I wanted to do, but I kept telling myself “you have to start somewhere”. I stuck with it for a while. I hated it. I despised it. It sucked the life out of me. I eventually looked for new places to work, and found where I am at now. I quit the restaurant business, and got into a company that not only am I working with computers, but the whole company is a computer outfit. I got into a tech support position, answering inbound calls. The pay was better, consistent hours, and everything in the corporation had to do with computers, not just a small facet of it.

I have been here almost a year. I have worked my ass off. Some people around me started to get me down.

Up to now, there is a theme, of me not knowing what I want to do. Or where to go.

How did you come to find BrianKim.net?

I found your website off of Digg I believe. The article that got my attention was the one about Testosterone.

I figured I got a gmail account, and can get as much email as possible, so why not sign up for the MITs. I read them every day. Those and the Slashdot daily email. (i have been getting the slashdot emails for almost 4 years now)

Sometimes I don’t agree with them, sometimes I could not agree more. A lot of them are insightful and wonderful analogies. But what I really think got to me was the fact that I was now actively thinking about my future, and what it needs and takes to get what I want out of life. This should be a required course for freshman in college.

In any case, I worked my butt off. And it paid off. I took some advice from the MITs. (ie Write down the goals. Make sort and long term goals. Don’t get frustrated when what you want does not happen immediately etc) and I was asked to take a promotion. There was no internal posting, no interviews, no process if you will (that’s what private companies will do ) I took it.

This is the first management job I have had. I am scared out of my wits. But, I can handle it.

I know ‘I’ got the promotion. But sometimes it takes a little kick in the ass to get someone moving and to think outside their comfort realm to get them to realize the bigger picture.

‘A hammer doesn’t always fix things. Always use the right tool for the job. ‘ My grandfather taught me that.

There is not one thing that I can say that I did to get/deserve/be offered it. It’s a collection of things and actions that I have just tweaked a little bit that lead to an attitude change, and a different outlook on a lot of things

All I know, is that I am 25 and right now……where I stand in my career, my personal life, and everything else. I am pretty happy. MUCH happier then floundering around not knowing what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go.

That’s great to hear! Congratulations on your success! Well deserved and good to know that you’re much happier now.

One thing that stood out from your story was these two sentences:

“There is not one thing that I can say that I did to get/deserve/be offered it. It’s a collection of things and actions that I have just tweaked a little bit that lead to an attitude change, and a different outlook on a lot of things.”

Can you expand on that? What were the things and actions that you tweaked that lead to the change in attitude and outlook?

Don’t make a habit of comparing yourself to someone else. The phrase “but he/she gets to all the time, why cant I?” should never be muttered our thought. There are more then likely extenuating circumstances, or other factors at play that prohibit you from whatever, or them, from what the situation is. If you get too caught up on what others are doing, you can never be worried about yourself.

Also, show up early. Don’t be the person that shows up to work at the time they are scheduled. Come in 5 minutes early. Get yourself a coffee, chit-chat with coworkers etc. It’s an extremely simple way to make yourself known in the workplace. Not only for your work, but also for you and your personality.

When someone, especially a superior, asks you to do something a specific way, do it that way. It might not be the way you believe it should be done, but if you do it their way and get it done well that says two things. One, you can follow directions, and two you can follow directions and do it well. If you huff and puff about not liking the way it is done, the outcome is never as good. Period.

Also, listen listen listen. I don’t know everything about this company, or their procedures. But, I can ask questions and listen well, so in the future I have an answer, and a right one at that.

What exactly was the change in attitude you had and how did those tweaks lead to it?

I started seeing the company as a vehicle, and not as an employer. I know I will not be with this company for ever. But if I put in a little extra effort, make some good connections and learn everyday when I am here, the next place I go will like me that much more. I can contribute that much more.

Can you also describe what you meant by when you said you had a different outlook on a lot of things?

As stated above, I stopped seeing work as, well, work. I come in every day and do what I am supposed to do. But I know in the back of my head, everything I do is not for the now, it is for the future.

I think a lot of people your age would be glad to be able to say “I am pretty happy. MUCH happier then floundering around not knowing what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. ”

What kind of advice would you give to those who are in that “lost” phase, where they don’t know what they want to do or where they want to go?

That it is totally acceptable, and ok to not know what you ‘want to do’. But, you need to start making decisions. If you have a job/career and are not sure this is for you, try harder, or find something else. To be in that state and do nothing about it, is where the lost feeling comes from. To be in that state and be conscious and try to make decisions to get yourself out of that state is a better choice.

Any last pieces of advice you want to give that you learned so far along your journey that you think may help other people with the goals they have?

Surround yourself with good people. Misery loves company. Keep your head up. Think big, but act small. Change does not, no matter how hard you try or want it to, happen overnight; mainly because you’re sleeping.

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I want to thank Mike again for telling us his story and sharing his advice from first hand experience. I think a lot of readers his age can benefit from his advice and I have no doubt that Mike will succeed in his management position (which by the way was offered to him over those who have been there for much longer than he has) and also continue to advance in his career.

“There is not one thing that I can say that I did to get/deserve/be offered it. It’s a collection of things and actions that I have just tweaked a little bit that lead to an attitude change, and a different outlook on a lot of things.”

There is so much to be said from just these two sentences that you could probably write an entire article about it. It’s one of those concepts that we take for granted, in that we don’t really see how minor changes can lead to big things (because that entire process seems to fly under the radar), but like Mike said, they can and they do - all the time.

“Change does not, no matter how hard you try or want it to, happen overnight; mainly because you’re sleeping.”

Very sage advice coupled with a bit of wit - I couldn’t have said it better myself Mike