Reinvent Yourself summary

Once upon a time, the road to success was straightforward: you earned a degree, landed a stable job and saved up for a comfortable retirement. This road has become a thing of the past, and yet many people are still trying to follow it – saddling themselves with debt from student loans, credit cards and mortgages along the way.

The old road is no longer viable because in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world there simply isn’t a linear, fixed and preestablished route to success; you need to blaze your own path.

One of the keys to doing so is to avoid letting your degree or job title define you. Consider a company that exemplifies reinvention: Google. Catching up with a friend who works at Google, the author asked, “What are the latest projects your company is working on?”

The author expected them to be search-related. But, actually, they were totally different: building an automated car, developing a bracelet to cure cancer and connecting remote areas to Wi-Fi through stratospheric balloons. In other words, Google doesn’t let its “job” (providing a search engine) define it.

Google’s cofounder Larry Page doesn’t let his degree define him, either. He majored in computer science, but his job today isn’t about tinkering with software; it’s about solving major societal problems.   

Of course, breaking free of the confines of your degree or job title is easier said than done. Fortunately, just because you have to blaze your own path doesn’t mean you have to go it alone; mentors can provide guidance. Here are some steps to finding them.

First, do some research on a person you respect and want to learn from. Read her bio. Check out articles she’s written or interviews she’s given. Next, contact her with ideas that might help her.

For example, when the author was seeking mentorship from someone who had written an academic article, he didn’t just read the article; he sent feedback, thus providing value as a mentee.

As you continue on your journey, provide your mentor with progress updates every three months. That way, she can see her influence on you in action and feel appreciated.

Finally, don’t just seize opportunities to meet up with your mentor; create those opportunities. It might even be worth going so far as to fly to another country and send her a message saying you’re available to discuss an idea further!