How To Be Successful In Life Without Going to College

Are you ready to learn how to be successful in life without going to college?

Don't get me wrong. Knowledge is power, but obtaining that knowledge from an academic institution isn't necessarily a predictor of success.

In fact, studies show that while less than 20 percent of college graduates leave campus with a job, a staggering 80 percent leave buried in debt.

The great news is that you don't need a piece of paper to succeed in life. It is possible to create success, on your terms.

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Success is a mindset.

Do you know what Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Richard Branson have in common? All of them dropped out of college and went on to become wildly successful entrepreneurs. I'm not saying that you cannot achieve success with a college degree. Nor am I condemning education altogether.

It all depends on what it is that you want from your life. If you aspire to be a doctor or a lawyer, then education is a must. However, if you are going to school solely to become an entrepreneur, I would think twice about learning about the business world from a textbook. It may not be the most ideal option.

It's okay if you don't resonate with school. You aren't alone. Ever since I can remember, I struggled in school. It never made sense to me. If I can be brutally honest, I found it to be a waste of time. The subjects didn't stimulate my mind. From an early age, I realized that I wanted to create something that was mine. I didn't know what that looked like, but I knew that I wasn't going to find it in a classroom setting.

I decided to go out into the world and build knowledge through taking action. Instead of reading textbooks I was hustling and building my brand around the clock. I'm living proof that you can learn how to be successful without a college degree. I barely finished high school but have still gone on to create a 7-figure online business and I'm not alone. On top of that, I was able to save myself $100,000 worth of debt.

Here are 5 ways to be successful in life without a college degree.

1. Work Harder Than Anyone

If you aren't going to utilize a degree, then you've got to work harder than anyone you've ever known. There will be a lot of sacrifices that you will need to make. You've got to ask yourself if you are ready for that because nobody is going to come along and create success for you.

Unfortunately, a lot of people get mesmerized by “get rich quick” stories. They want to do important things, but they aren't willing to do the work in order to get there. As a result, they are constantly looking for shortcuts to try to speed up the process. Here's the thing…  there are no shortcuts to real success in life, especially if you aspire to become an entrepreneur.

The most successful people in this world didn't get to where they are today by dabbling through life. Rather, every single day, they hustled to make their dreams come true. The only way to get to the top is to become the master of your life. If you aren't willing to commit the time, energy, and effort that it takes in order to build a successful life, you will always come up short.

2. Master The Art Of Self-Promotion

Selling is an overlooked asset, but it's something that everyone needs to master if they want to be successful in life. No matter what career path you take, you need to learn how to sell yourself and your ideas. Unfortunately, the history of the word “selling” has given it a bad name.

Selling isn't about shoving your business card down people's throats at networking events and telling them all of the reasons why you are the best. Rather, it's about knowing your value and communicating it in an authentic way. If you can't influence those around you, you won’t get very far in life. In order to effectively sell yourself, you have to first think about what your unique value proposition is.

What are your strengths and talents? What makes you stand out from the rest? When you have a solid understanding of who you are and what you bring to the table, you will know how best you can serve yourself and others.

In his book, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, Daniel Pink said that “The purpose of a pitch isn’t necessarily to move others immediately to adopt your idea. The purpose is to offer something so compelling that it begins a conversation, brings the other person in as a participant, and eventually arrives at an outcome that appeals to both of you.” 

People who have mastered the art of selling are able to effectively communicate their messages in ways that influence people's behaviors. The reality is that when people trust and like you, they will be more likely to buy your products or services.

3. Commit To Lifelong Learning 

If you want to achieve success without formal education then you need to commit to lifelong learning. In today's digital world, consuming knowledge has never been so easy. This has given rise to a huge population of people who have embraced online education as a substitute for an expensive college degree.

In today's ever-changing world, if you aren't growing and investing in yourself, you will get left behind. This is why successful people make learning a part of their everyday lives. I have always had a passion for learning, so much so that I've invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into my personal growth and development. Reading, attending seminars, listening to podcasts, and taking online courses are a core part of my life.

By adopting an attitude of curiosity, I am constantly approaching the world and my work with an open mind. A neurological study has shown that curiosity makes our brains more receptive to learning and that as we learn, we enjoy the sensation of learning. It's important to point out that learning means nothing unless you do something with it. Don't get stuck in the trap of analysis paralysis. Instead, the moment that you learn something, put it into action immediately.

4. Find A Mentor

One of the keys to building a successful life is to amass a team of mentors who have been where you want to go in life. I am a big believer in the power of mentorship. One of the reasons why I've been able to accomplish so much at a relatively young age is because of the mentors and coaches who have supported me along the way.

When you leverage the expertise, knowledge, and experience of a mentor, you shortcut your success. By learning from the failures and mistakes of others, it ensures that you don't have to go down the same road. This is the most intelligent way of achieving anything of value in life.

A lot of people make the mistake of trying to figure things out by themselves. In my experience, this is not a smart way of working. Anybody I know who has achieved massive success in life without a college degree didn't get there on their own.  Instead of letting their egos get in the way, successful people are always open to learning from others.

It's important to remember that being mentored requires that you add value to a mentor and actively invest in the relationship. You need to give as much as you get. To quote Sheryl Sandberg, “We need to stop telling [young people], ‘Get a mentor and you will excel,’ Instead, we need to tell them, ‘Excel and you will get a mentor.” All of my mentors have become mentors to me through some form of shared experience.

I've done this through actively putting myself in environments where successful people hang out. Never forget that proximity is power. By meeting other like-minded people, you will be in a better position to build relationships that will support your personal and professional growth.

5. Become A Pro Networker 

We all know at least one person who has the perfect elevator pitch, who is a master influencer, and who is able to work a room like a pro. While these people are admirable, they can also be extremely intimidating. Networking is a topic of conversation that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. I completely understand.

When I first got into the world of entrepreneurship, I felt extremely awkward attending networking events and talking to random people. It was even harder for me because I suffered from extreme social anxiety. Interacting with people used to make me feel physically sick. However, I knew that if I wanted to be successful in life I had to overcome this fear. I decided that I needed to actively put myself in environments with people who were smarter than I was.

Don't get me wrong… there's definitely a sense of comfort that comes from surrounding yourself with people who are further behind you. However, real growth doesn't happen inside your comfort zone. Being a successful networker means that you are able to fearlessly drop your ego at the front door, and with an open mind, approach people who have achieved great things.

Networking is not about meeting strangers and having forced conversations. Rather, it's about building strong relationships with people that are mutually beneficial. Your social capital is one of the most important assets when it comes to creating success in life. Networking with like-minded people has allowed me to expand my influence in ways that I never thought were possible. Porter Gale said it best – “Your network is your net worth.”

If you didn't know how to be successful in life without going to college, now you do.

Nоt еvеrуоnе іѕ ѕuіtеd for соllеgе and that is OK. Thеrе іѕ nо shame in deciding tо vеnturе down another path in life. Just because someone graduated from a top college, it doesn't necessarily mean that they will go on to achieve success. In today's ever-changing world, you need to constantly seek new ways to grow and expand yourself if you want to stay current and be known as someone of value. A piece of paper offers no guarantees.

It is possible to join the long lіѕt of people whо hаvе achieved massive success wіthоut a еxреnѕіvе соllеgе education. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want in life. Nevertheless, no matter what path you choose to take, I encourage you to be a learner for life. In my experience, life always offers you way more lessons than school ever will.

Do you want to learn how you can master your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!