Congratulations.

Oh, did you think this was about graduation? Yes, congrats on that, too. But we’re talking about way more than celebrating the end of high school. We’re talking about what’s next. We’re talking about your new job.

From now on, you are the person in charge of your own life.

Chances are that sounds both exciting and terrifying—because it is. College life is a season of discovering new things, and giving up some old things. A season of success, failure, and everything in between.

Over the next year you’re going to need a lot of stuff—whether it’s decorations for a new dorm room or clothes for a new job. But there’s one thing you need more than anything else.

YOU NEED A TEAM
.

Maybe that surprises you. Maybe you thought: “Finally, I’m on my own. I can make my own decisions. I can do my own thing.” That’s still true but think of it this way. You were just named CEO of your life. You’re the boss.

And just like the CEO of any organization or business, you need a team of people with experience, expertise, and wisdom to help you see the whole picture and make great decisions. That’s why the most powerful leaders—even the president—has a team of advisors.

Sure, you graduated from being assigned coaches, teachers, counselors, and youth pastors. But that doesn’t mean you’re on your own. Now, as an adult, you get to choose the people on your team. And who you choose may be one of the most important adult decisions you make. So how do you choose?

Well, first, let’s assume your parents are still acting as advisors in your life. They may not be telling you when to wake up, what time to come home, or reminding you to eat more veggies, but chances are they still know you better than anyone else and still want the best for you. So let’s keep them on the list. Who else?

As you think through who you know, start with people who are little farther along in life than you. You probably already have great friends who are figuring out the after-graduation life together. Keep them! But for your advisory team, you’ll want three to five people who have already been there. People who can help you see what you don’t see and have been through what you’re likely to go through.

As you assemble your team, look for people who have these two characteristics:

• They make wise decisions in their own lives. This is a no-brainer, right? If someone makes bad decisions in their own life, they shouldn’t help make decisions in yours. You can still be friends with them, of course. But they’re not on your team. That’s just a bad idea.
• They care about you enough to tell you what you don’t want to hear. When you want to make a decision, there’s usually a reason. And we all know who to go to if we just want a “yes.” We all have those people who will tell us what we want to hear and make us feel good about our ideas. But if you want to make consistently wise decisions, you’re going to need somebody who loves you enough to disagree with you, to point out when your plans don’t set you up for the best outcomes, and to help you figure out a better alternative.

So that’s it. Farther along. Wise decisions. Care about you. Can you think of some people who fit that description? Great! Now you just want to…

MAKE THE ASK.

We know that asking anyone for a favor can be a little scary, but trust us. Asking someone to be on your grad team will make their day. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Just click below to download a postcard. You can print it and mail it to them OR simply copy the image and text it to them.