Congratulations, you've graduated college! Now what?

My good friend and colleague, Larry Winget recently appeared on Fox and Friends to offer his insights on a commencement address that had strong impact on new graduates.

Larry is an expert on motivation, finance and attitude. I found his advice strongly resonated with my own insights for budding entrepreneurs as they enter the real competitive world of business. 

The four points Larry made say it well:

Congratulations on earning your degree. But the truth is that the degree alone isn't going to be enough to assure your success in the real world.

 In the real world employers don't care much about your degree, your happiness, your income or really much of anything that has to do with you. They care about what you can do for them. And from this point on, that's how you have to think. Businesses exist to be profitable. It is your job to help make them profitable. If you know how to do that, how to be worth more than you cost, then you have value in the workplace. If you don't know how to be worth more than you cost, then employers will pass you over and find someone else.

Look at what it really takes to be successful in the real world.

• You have to take responsibility. Your life, your results, your success, happiness, health and prosperity are up to you. When it turns out well, you get the credit and when it doesn't work out the way you wanted it to, you get the blame. It isn't up to anyone else to make sure you are successful, it's always up to you, so be responsible.

• Respect your employer enough to be on time and give them your personal best every day because that is what they are paying for. Respect your boss, even when you think he is an idiot because he is still your boss and deserves your respect. Respect your coworkers so they will respect you and your customers because they pay you.

• Establish clear priorities. Your time, your energy and your money will always go to what is important to you. If looking cute is important to you then you will spend all of your money at the mall. If being financially secure is important to you then you will make sure that you save, invest and live on less than you earn.

• It’s NOT about your passion: It's about work and excellence. Regardless of what others may tell you, it's not about your passion.  I know people who are passionately incompetent. It's not loving what you do or being happy every day. You aren't paid to be happy on the job; you are paid to do your job. Success always comes down to hard work and excellence. And it takes both. Hard work alone won't cut it. I know people who work really hard yet aren't any good at what they do so it doesn't matter. And I know people who are excellent at what they do but they don't work hard enough at it to make any difference.

So work hard and be excellent at what you do. And remember, if anyone can do it then anyone can do it.”

Whether or not you are a new graduate, a new entrepreneur or in businesses today, these powerful insights are right on guidelines for success.

Want to learn more?  Check out   A Year of Success and visit -http://ayearofsuccess.com/?affid=87

About the author:

Don Hutson is the author of 14 books, including a Wall Street Journal and  two time New York Times Best-Selling author of “The One Minute Entrepreneur” and co-author of “The One Minute Negotiator: Simple Steps to Reach Better Agreements”. Hutson is the CEO of U. S. Learning based in Memphis, TN.  He is past president of the National Speakers Association and a veteran of 6,000 presentations worldwide.  Go to www.DonHutson.com or call 901-767