The definitive Fastlane guide for teenagers...

[El1mination]

Hey man, by all means keep that effort up!! I'm 16yrs old and I'm definitely gonna root for U man!!

Thank you! Good luck to you too!

 

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[Safwan]

If you have been linked to this page, it is because you mentioned you are a teenager (17 or younger) and have posted questions on The Fastlane Forum seeking advice for wealth, business, and life in general.

First, let me say congratulations on being a proactive investor in your future. The fact that you have asked such questions young demonstrates that you are way ahead of the average adult twice your age.

Give yourself some cred!



Second, as a matter of legal liability, it is not wise for internet strangers to actively advise and converse with minors regarding life choices. This activity is generally left to your parents or teachers, individuals who typically have a fiduciary duty to your wellness.

But MJ! My parents want me to go to college and be a worker drone! A slave to the Script!​

I get it. But please understand that your parents only want what is best for you. Second, they know your habits, behaviors, and patterns far better than I do. As I've written before, the forum cannot make your life decisions, especially if you aren't even a legal adult.

As for how you should approach the Fastlane if you endeavor for an Unscripted life, know this: Your teenage years should be spent having fun, whether exploring your passions, playing sports, or learning how to do things that inspire your soul.

The teen years should be exploratory, not one of hustle, grind, and unrelenting expectations.

But MJ, I want to get in the Fastlane! ​

Youth and time is your biggest asset right now.

In fact, you're a time billionaire with billions of unused seconds remaining in your life. That's plenty of time to "go Fastlane," build a business, a family, and a life full of meaning. Don't cheat your youth by inviting adulthood too fast and too full of lofty expectations.

So am I suggesting you leave? Give up on the idea of a Fastlane, Unscripted life?

Not at all.

First and foremost, the Fastlane is mindset. An awareness and a mental state where you don't just want to survive; you want to thrive. The fact that you're here speaks volumes, and you've recognized your most important power in life: THE POWER TO CHOOSE.

Unfortunately, until you are an adult, the "power to choose" is likely limited to your legal guardian, or your parents.

The people here cannot advise you directly other than vague generalities, which I will outline below.

So rest assured, the investments you make as a teenager will pay you big dividends as an adult, and yes, perhaps a Fastlane, Unscripted life where you can be healthy, wealthy, and happy.

Here are 12 concepts that I told my step-son when he was a teenager, things that will improve his probability of living the life of his dreams.

#1) Don't dismiss a college education.​

Yes, a college education isn't what it used to be.

However, college is more than the degree; it is socialization, it is time management, it is discipline, it is learning how to learn, and it is your first dance away from your parents.

Now, is college worth its debt? Depends.

Spending $50K on a philosophy degree isn't smart. Computer science, data analysis, robotics; perhaps it is.

If college is free in your country, study something that interests you and can be leveraged in either a great job or a great business.

Avoid any "greater fool" studies or degrees in liberal arts; these pursuits are only valuable in teaching other fools the same stuff.

#2) Don't dismiss your parent's wisdom, but also, don't take it as the holy gospel. ​

Your parent's primary goal is to protect you. Part of that protection is guarding you from unknown dangers and from taking perceived risks. They want what they think is best for you, even if you don't agree.

Starting a business sounds risky if your parents are part of the rat race, live paycheck-to-paycheck, and have been working a job most of their lives. Even more risky? The idea of starting a business for wealth and as a conduit to escape the rat race. These are massive unknowns. Risks. It is their job to be skeptical.

Hate school? That's OK, so did I.

But I powered through it and graduated.

Your first challenge as an entrepreneur is to finish high school, or if you have one year left in college, for the love of God, finish college. It only makes sense to drop out of you have an established business with sales, revenue, and a pathway to scale.

If you can't survive the grind of high school or college, you'll find the grind of starting and running a business no easier.

Quitters quit. Winners persevere, even when things are boring, hard, or dispassionate.

Second, do you want to get rich? Be successful and happy?

Get used to the idea that learning is LIFE-LONG.

Continuing self-education will make you rich. If your education officially ends at graduation, make no mistake: the rest of your life will suck.

You can hate school, but you can't hate education.

#3) Social media is mentally hazardous: Avoid social media, video games, and other dopamine addictions that destroy your ability to learn, focus, and evolve.​

Decades ago, your most significant obstacle to success was access to knowledge.

Today, knowledge is everywhere—a readily accessible commodity—but most people are incapable of processing it, much less using it.

Why? Distraction.

Smartphones have killed your ability to focus. And the younger you are, the worse it is.

If you want any chance of success, avoid social media and video gaming except as tools for your business. If you can't avoid them, put strict limits on their use, like you would smoking or drinking a sugar-laden soda.

Social media is a perfect example of the consumer/producer dichotomy I expose in The Millionaire Fastlane ; the YouTubers with 3 million subscribers are producing, and hence, making millions—their subscribers are the consumers, spending millions in minutes per day.

#4) The producers of culture get rich; the consumers stay poor.​

Know this: If you want to get rich as an adult, you must learn to produce value in excess of your consumption.

See the social media example above. Do you think Mr. Beast is on YouTube 4 hours a day, watching endless videos on meditation, cold showers, and productivity hacking?

Nope.

He's PRODUCING content for the masses to consume.

And as a result, he has billions of dollars in influence and wealth.

Yes, there's nothing wrong with watching YouTube to learn something new. However, at some point, the knowledge you consume must be put into real-life action. That's how you get a return on the time you invest.

As I like to say, at some point you can read and consume all kinds of material on swimming; at some point you have to jump in the pool.

Second, social media is an excellent tool for entrepreneurs to grow their business and influence. It is a tool, like a hammer.

A hammer can build you something impressive like a house, or you can use a hammer to hit yourself over the head, turning you into a dopamine slave.

Eventually, the choice will be yours.

#5) Business and entrepreneurship is a lifelong sport; it's not something you try for a few months and move on.​

Business, or entrepreneurship, is not something you try. It's something you live. It is an enduring identity that goes beyond just a career. And you can reinforce your entrepreneurial identity during your teen years by doing entrepreneurial things.

In my community, enterprising teenagers are very common.

They mow and aerate lawns, pull weeds, walk dogs, wash/detail cars, power wash driveways/garbage cans, and host lemonade stands on the street corner.

Presuming you have your parent's permission, nothing stops you from posting your services on Facebook or NextDoor. You'd be surprised how many adults love to give 16-year-old teenagers work.

Any success in these local enterprises will spell future success in more significant ventures. Entrepreneurship is about selling value and delivering it. The "making money" aspect is the result.

If you're here asking, "How do I make money?" you're already on the wrong launchpad.

The answer isn't low-brow, fast money-making opportunities pushed by every two-bit guru; affiliate marketing, dropshipping, or crypto— it's in the art of unique value creation followed by marketing that value.

Help people and you will help yourself.

#6) Learn how to sell, communicate, and market. Bonus: Learn how to lead.​

If you own the cure for cancer but can't sell, communicate, or market it, you make nothing. A great product sells zero. Selling is critical in life, from selling yourself to employers, customers, professors, bosses, regulators, lobbyists, and potential spouses—the selling never ends.

Communication is the bridge between your mind and the world. It's the energy that propels your imagination into reality. Like a skilled conductor leading an orchestra, learning to communicate effectively will enable you to create harmony and conciseness in relationships, projects, and pursuits.

Bonus points if you can lead groups of people.

Triple points if you learn how to speak in front of large groups.

Second, the art of marketing and advertising is a potent skill. It's more than just pushing a product; it's about connecting, understanding needs, and solving problems.

Whether a lemonade stand or a school project, learning to sell, persuade, and advance your position is about mastering the human connection.

It's the first dance in the grand ballroom of business.

#7) Leverage compounding; the skill behind life-changing results and ambitious dreams.​

Compound is the key to success.

Compounding money, compounding returns, compounding skills, compounding habits.

When you hear a concert violinist, you're witnessing positive compounding.

When you watch a pro athlete, you're seeing years of positive compounding.

When you see a successful entrepreneur sell his company, again, positive compounding.

Conversely, when you see someone 300 lbs and obese, you're witnessing the incarnation of negative compounding.

Social media, video games, and poor dietary habits institute negative compounding and make your mind a mushy marshmallow.

Results—both positive and negative—only happen one day, one habit at a time.

As I like to say, hard choices create an easy life.

Easy choices? Be prepared for hard.

As such, if you can exercise this compounding muscle, you can win at life.

• Learn how to play a musical instrument until you get to an intermediate level.
• Visit the gym 4-5 times a week until fitness becomes a routine.
• Eat right every day and avoid processed, sugary foods.
• Brush your teeth daily; a root canal is the worst thing a human can endure.
• Take up a sport and aim to be the best at it, not the best in your school, just the best YOU can be.
• Learn how to save a portion of your earnings—no matter how small. It's not the amount; it's the process.

Success is found in the ordinary.

That's right, the mundane is where life reveals its most profound secrets. The daily grind, the routine, the everyday hustle is where you'll find the hidden threads of future greatness. Expect them, endure them, and come out better than before.

Are you better today than yesterday?

Ask, If I continue this behavior for the next 100 days, what will my results be?

Your answer will determine if you live a life of pride or shame.

#8) Stop caring what other people think or struggle mightily.​

You can't do anything significant if you constantly avoid criticism or care what others think.

Success is a full-criticism sport.

Look at the most successful entrepreneurs, authors, and athletes in the world, from Elon Musk to JK Rowling to Ronaldo; they all get criticism and have their share of haters.

You can be pure of heart and soul and guess what? It still won't matter! People will hate you, especially if you succeed publicly. And it is hard not to take it personally.

However, this expected hatred is a fact of life, and if you want to resist the realities of life, you will struggle to succeed at anything.

Expect friction and know such negative commentary has nothing to do with you but with the person dispensing it. Friend, brother, schoolmate; it doesn't matter.

Hurt people hurt people.

#9) Surround yourself with accelerators, not drags.​

As a teen, I once had a friend, Dave, who was crazy. At the time, I thought he was funny in a bold, inappropriate way. But I knew something was "off" about him and stopped being his friend. Here's later, I discovered he murdered a cop and was sentenced to life in prison.

There's an old and true saying: You are who you surround yourself with.

If your friends are lazy losers who eat and play video games all day, guess what? You likely will become a lazy loser who does the same.

People who don't support your goals and big dreams are drags. They are like anchors on your boat. Conversely, surrounding yourself with people who support your goal or, minimally aspire for better life outcomes becomes an accelerant.

Think of each person invited into the intimacy of life as a door. What door are they taking you through? What would have happened if I had been in the car when Dave decided to run over a cop?

People act like doors on your life's journey; they open new opportunities or new tragedies.

Choose wisely who you choose to associate with. Learn how to lock doors and walk away from them.

#10) Understand that culture, media, entertainment, and society generally want you mediocre and obedient, a good citizen who questions nothing and does their job for 50 years.​

The Script is real. Culture is not your friend. Neither is the media.

If you want to live a 1% existence, you can't participate in 99% resources.

Beware of any mainstream media sources, opinions, or illusions of authority. They are all designed to get you into the Monday-thru-Friday slave/investment scheme. They are all designed to make you angry and to believe you're a victim. Yes, the world is screwed up—but your neighbor generally isn't the problem, it's what's your neighbor continues to consume, and continues to believe.

Learn to think critically and ask, "Why do they want me to think, behave, and act this way?"

More than likely, you'll find a conflict of interest or an agenda actually adverse to living your best life.

#11) Choose to be happy. You can be 50 years old and still live life like a kid.​

I'm over 50 now. More than 2/3rds of my life is over. And yet, I still feel like a kid. Life is fantastic, and it feels like my playground.

Over the years, I learned that happiness is a state of mind, an existence of being, not a destination. If you make happiness a destination conditional on specific results (sales, cars, etc.), your happiness won't last and will be fleeting.

Think of it as a scale of 1 through 10.

Most people have a default happiness level that fluctuates around 3-6 and work to earn periodic bursts to 8s or 9s—a promotion, a new car, a concert or a vacation—whereas you should opt to live your life at a constant 8.

How?

Pursue your dreams.

No matter how hard.

Here's a secret for living happily: When you have a dream—a Meaning and a Purpose—and you're actively pursuing those purposes, you're already living the dream.

As you pursue your dreams, small wins spike happiness from a default baseline of 7 or 8, to 9 or 10.

Don't confuse Purpose with "Following your passion" or "doing what you love." These are selfish inclinations.

A Purpose is usually external and larger than ourselves. A Purpose forces you to do the dirty work, the work that forces others to quit. When turmoil arrives, and it will, Purpose is the propellant to get you over the mountain.

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#12) One day, you'll be dead; make life your video game to be won.​

Life is short. Yes, it goes fast. It feels like just yesterday I was 21.

However, one perspective that helped me endure life's challenges was looking at life as a role-playing fantasy video game. As such, I worked to acquire knowledge, experience points, proficiency, and skills; I performed market experiments, acted, assessed, and adjusted continually, and leveled up in the game while acquiring gold and treasure.

Video games always have big bosses to kill. Life does, too, from our impulsive decisions that result in poor consequences to a media that hates entrepreneurs and "rich people" to the lures of social media and endless Netflix binging. Kill the bosses, and you win.

Failures? No problem, they're just game resets. They're experience points—part of the game.

Looking at life this way while deploying the power of compounding, you might wake up owning a real Lamborghini in life, not a fake Lamborghini in a video game.

Ultimately, your main goal is happiness and self-fulfillment, a life you can be proud of when your last day on earth arrives.

With that said, remember, you are in the dawn of your existence.

Your teen years should be optimized to play, to dream, to laugh, and to explore. Don't rush to grow up; don't forget to live and savor youth's sweetness. Like a rare vintage wine, these years have a flavor that you'll never taste again. Don't hate your youth; embrace it, for it shall never come again.

As you age into adulthood, your career as an entrepreneur will unfurl like a journey through an uncharted wilderness. There will be mountains to climb and rivers to cross, but the beauty is in the journey, not just the destination. There's beauty in pursuing a dream and a Purpose. Embrace the video game that is life, sharpen your skills, nurture your mind, and prepare to set the world ablaze with your ideas.

This life is yours and no one else.

The greatest tragedy of humanity is to aspire for mediocrity. To just survive and get by.

Aim higher, produce, learn as you age, and master the video game that is life.



I will add more over time, until then, get off Instagram, go outside and enjoy your youth.
Best wishes,
MJ DeMarco

Fellow Fastlaners? What advice are you giving your children?

Hi, im 15 years old and it been 2 weeks that im learning web design. I have a big problem :
So What if my parent don't want that i do some entreprenaral things, im learning web design, but my parents are saying that it is a lost of time and they say that "what you're doing is nothing at all, concentrate on school", they forbid me to do it. And i just got my first client yesterday. They want that i stay with them until age 25.

I have no hobbies (except sports on Mondays and Wednesdays). I spend my days working on web design and at school (I don't get bad grades). But now I can't work in web design because they've banned me. So I'm bored.(im sorry for my english).

My parents are very closed-minded, and I've already tried to convince them, but they threathened to kick me out

What do I do?

 

[mikecarlooch]

Hi, im 15 years old and it been 2 weeks that im learning web design. I have a big problem :
So What if my parent don't want that i do some entreprenaral things, im learning web design, but my parents are saying that it is a lost of time and they say that "what you're doing is nothing at all, concentrate on school", they forbid me to do it. And i just got my first client yesterday. They want that i stay with them until age 25.

I have no hobbies (except sports on Mondays and Wednesdays). I spend my days working on web design and at school (I don't get bad grades). But now I can't work in web design because they've banned me. So I'm bored.(im sorry for my english).

My parents are very closed-minded, and I've already tried to convince them, but they threathened to kick me out

What do I do?

ask somebody for money for something valuable and show them the money you made

 

[Safwan]

ask somebody for money for something valuable and show them the money you made

But that's cheating, I'm going to do the site for my client on the sly, then when he pays me, I'll show him the money, which will be 50 euros as he's a friend. And if it doesn't work, I don't know what to do.
Thanks for the idea.

 

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[mikecarlooch]

But that's cheating, I'm going to do the site for my client on the sly, then when he pays me, I'll show him the money, which will be 50 euros as he's a friend. And if it doesn't work, I don't know what to do.
Thanks for the idea.

I wasn’t talking about cheating.

I’m talking about actually selling a valuable service and making someone happy

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Bump.