I have nothing to do…or do I?

I have spent this summer struggling with what I can do to make money, or at least feel like I am being productive. I know that when you run your own business there is always so much to do. However, you try to prioritize, and when that happens you end up procrastinating more than anything else.

This is very difficult for me because I have always lived my life staying busy. I set some goals this summer, but I did it with a naïve attitude, and they seem to be difficult to achieve. So what have I done this summer, and what do I plan on doing? I have started selling advertising, and it is going well. However, sales are very sporadic, and I find myself with too much time on my hands. In order to force myself into being productive, I have been going to the gym six days a week, and I have gotten one of my fraternity brothers to join me. Aside from that, I got a job at a bar checking ID’s and collecting a cover charge, but that is twice a week at best.

I immediately realized that this summer was going to be a far cry from the summers of my past. Prior to this year, I spent every summer in Connecticut. I had a steady girlfriend of three years, worked at a golf course, and spent time with my friends and family. I was used to going to sleep before 10:00 PM, and waking up at 5:30 AM. As of last year I was salaried, and my work week consisted of at least 48 hours (sometimes more like 60). Don’t get me wrong, I made a lot of money, and a lot of it was cash (making it much easier to spend). I would play golf, sometimes on the clock, and I would spend my entire day making wealthy people feel better about themselves. I hated it. The only positive thing I can say about that job was that it gave me the skills I need now with sales, and it taught me about hard work paying off. It just made me sick being talked down to everyday by people that had no idea who I was or what I was really doing with my life.

During my time as an “unlicensed assistant pro”, I had already owned a business for two years, I had gotten into the business school at Ohio State, and I had a 3 handicap. Throughout all of that I would be cleaning clubs and getting yelled at by people that were lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in their mouth, and a serious alcohol problem. So what motivated me to leave a well paying, steady job with benefits like free golf? I think that speaks for itself.

Now don’t get me wrong, a lot of the negativity I feel towards that job came out of the actions of a few certain individuals that really have no respect. I kept my head up for the four years that I worked there, I always worked hard, and I managed to gain respect from a lot of the “elite” members. I also made some great friendships, and I learned a good deal from my boss about how to manage difficult situations.

Now I have found myself in a difficult situation. I don’t have a schedule, I have some tasks I need to complete, and I have some tasks I want to complete. The trouble I really have is wondering, come September, what will make this summer a success?

I think it will be a mix of things. First, if I have enough money in the bank, and on its way in to make it through my senior year, and do everything I want to. Second, if my networking has led me to enough open doors, so that I can call in the favors that I know I will have to. Third, if I am in the best shape that I have ever been in (I have never worked out this much, mainly because I have never had the time). Last, and most importantly, if I can look back at this summer and feel that I didn’t waste any time or opportunity.

I guess it is my job to make sure that every day I accomplish something, and come the end of summer, if I haven’t done a great job, there is no one to blame but myself.

I’ll let you know in September.

Social networking… How important is the booze?

Everyone knows that a big part of college is drinking. Whether it takes place at house parties, or in bars, there is little denying that it is a part of life. But do people really ever think how important drinking is to social networking, and that this may be one of the reasons that it takes place so much at college. Now don’t get me wrong, a lot of the drinking is done because parents are no longer around, and there are fewer rules and more options. However, once people get by the immediate shock of binging just because you can, the booze begins to get more important.

There are many reasons, and many types of people at college, especially at a large university like the one I attend. It is more than interesting to watch as people adjust to this new social opportunity. Many look to older siblings, or friends that have attended the school for a long time. How do most of them get comfortable enough to talk in situations that can be awkward? They drink… In the movie “Road Trip”, four college students go on a drive from Ithaca, NY to Austin, TX. The movie is a portrayal of the life of a college student today. In one scene, the student that was supposed to be the naïve, nerdy kid, gets blackout drunk at an all black fraternity party, ends up becoming very comfortable around the brothers, and loses his virginity to a large, African American girl. Would this happen without alcohol… I doubt it.

 

What is really important in that message is what happens to this guy’s persona after this ridiculous night. He is no longer this punching bag for his three friends. Instead he turns his hat around, lights a cigarette, and walks with a stride. He learned that he could talk to people, including girls, just because he got drunk one night and realized how social he could be.

Now of course, there are limits that need to be put on alcohol consumption. It is dangerous, and many people die every year from over usage. But it is important to look at drinking as a test of your responsibility, and a test of your ability to socialize. If you feel confident that you can go out with a person to discuss business, and limit your drinking to an amount that will loosen you up, but keep you from being stupid, then this shows responsibility. On the other hand, if you are incapable of limiting your consumption, and you end up binge drinking on a business meeting, then you need to evaluate whether alcohol should even be a part of your life anymore.

 

I am as guilty as anyone for having my nights that I have drank too much. I have done stupid things and not remembered them. However, I learned a lesson a few years ago, that I will probably never forget. I was in Italy with my family, and we were all sitting around a table about to enjoy a nice meal in paradise. Of course the drinking age there is 16, so I was legal for the first time. My father raised his glass, and toasted the family. Everyone said cheers and took a sip, except me. I threw my head back, and downed the beer like I was at a high school party with a $.50 Busch Light in my hand. When I had successfully drank the entire beer, I looked up with pride. Instead of getting high fives and another beer, I just had shocked looks from my parents and brother.

 

I learned right then and there that you need to learn how to adapt to your surroundings, whether it is in business, or with family. It is necessary to evaluate the people you are with, the setting you are in, and the amount of alcohol you consume. You will soon realize that limiting yourself in some areas allows you to take advantage of other things you may miss out on, or even forget.

 

There are other ways to look at drinking, and the positive effects it can have on socializing in situations that may not be as comfortable as you may have hoped. For example, I have been going to a rabbi’s house on Friday nights for the Sabbath. He is attempting to teach me a little more about the Jewish religion. He is well aware that I do not speak much Hebrew, and being at dinner with three girls from Israel, and two other conservative Jewish people, I may feel a little out of place. He knows this, so he will have a few more toasts because he knows that it will make me more comfortable.

I would like to know how other people feel about this, I know some people have bad experiences with alcohol, and family, but when responding, I would like you to look at it purely from a networking perspective.