|
STEP |
YOUR TASK |
YOUR GOAL |
|
1 |
Stay in school |
Get a degree (preferably one that’s trendy) |
|
2 |
Get a job (or start a business) |
Earn lots of money |
|
3 |
Rejoice |
Remember that you are a happy, successful individual who has “made it” |
|
4 |
Retire (with a fat nest egg) |
Live large (you don’t have that much time left, you know) |
|
5 |
Die (happy) |
Leave a honking inheritance for your offspring, charity or pets |
What you were looking at is the official, easy, five-step plan to a happy life.
At least, as laid out by Those in the know.
If you’re not in the know, you’ll be pleased to know, the consensus, from Those in the know, is that an individual—any individual—only needs two skills:
1) The ability to outshine other participants in landing, and maintaining, a well-paying job
2) The facility for amassing a large pile of money. That you’ll need later. Much later. Maybe forty years later.
In the time-continuum that falls between you making yourself attractive to a well-paying employer and you stockpiling your ripe retirement fund, you’re pretty much on your own.
Although, what Those in the know might suggest is, if you had to pick from careers that included astronomer, broker, calligrapher, doorman, elephant-trainer or filing-clerk, your final selection should be based on earnings (remember that maximizing income and amassing a retirement fund are key criteria to Those in the know).
You may well ask; who are these mysterious folk called Those in the know?
They are career counsellors and retirement advisors. They include consultants and educators. They’re made up of parents, relatives and well-meaning friends. They’re you, and they’re me.
They are, in fact, anyone who has ever said, “Just think of the money you’ll make.”
As if a successful life is measured by income and bank account. Or, for that matter, by legacy and reputation. Or, even worse, by position and title on a business card….
