How do you succeed in life when you have underachieving parents?

I am 24 and I plan on doing a lot with my life. I want to start businesses, accomplish a lot and be able to retire at a relatively young age with millions if not billions of dollars. My parents on the other hand are not going for the same goals. My mom is in her late 40's and my dad is in his early 60's. Both have them have been in the same dead end situation for the past 20 something years and neither of them are going to be able to retire rich. My mom a hairstylist and my dad a car salesman. Neither of them have taken their profession to the max, and are still at the same begining level. Anyway, my dad always gives me advice when it comes to work, and criticizes me when I mention business ideas, or any idea that is different than having a basic 9-5 job for the rest of my life. My mom supports me but obviously doesn't have any great ideas. How do I personally succeed and still interact with my parents without telling them my plans and letting them interfere with my actions? The first 2 answerers completely missed the question. Way to go. Loveblue, there is a bit more to my parents than you think. For one thing, they are not honest, but they are hard working. They work hard towards the wrong goals in life. Instead of trying to be personally successfull, they work hard at fighting with each other and getting even with each other. Plus they spend tons of time and money battling in court with each other over silly arguements. My parents need a lot of help and it seems like they will never get over their problems. I respect them for the good they have done, its just that they don't focus their lives on becoming socially, personally, or financially rich. They focus on making each other miserable. I don't want a life like that.

Public Comments

1. Has nothing to do with it look at Bill Clinton he became President.
2. Education is the key to a bright future i reccomend you get your degree
3. The fact that you are thinking this way puts you way ahead of not only your parents but most americans. DREAM BIG!!! You are already on the right path. Just don't knock your parents,make them proud. And help them live the life they only dreamed of!!!!!
4. My parents were both massive underachievers. I used every example of their life and avoided it like it was a disease. I did or thought nothing like them. I tried 3 times harder and ignored their every comment.
5. As a parent, I find it pretty pathetic that you obviously base your parents 'worth' on their material wealth and the extent that they have succeeded (or not succeeded) in their given professions. Then, you have the gall to state that your mom supports you, even as you run both your parents into the ground with your criticism of them. It's not up to your parents to give you great ideas on how to succeed. Especially when your idea of succeeding and your parents idea of the same seem to be vastly different. You may think you're lining up the world on a kite-string, but it sounds like you have a lot of growing up to do. Life doesn't always unfold like we want it to unfold. People experience set-backs, take wrong turns in life, etc. And, the fact that your parents seem to be honest, hard-working people doesn't seem to mean one thing to you. If you and your father don't see eye to eye when it comes to your business ideas, maybe you should consider not discussing them with him anymore. Many people would have liked to have retired young, with a nice nest egg. There's one little problem with that theory though - life. Sometimes it kicks us AND our dreams in the butt. Your parents deserve much more than you've given them credit for.
6. Succeed means different things to different people - just make sure you want to succeed in something you value. Your parents may have valued something else more than their careers, maybe it be family or relationship, so they still deserve your respect. When you say you want to start businesses, what do you have in mind? Don't get into it if you know nothing about it because you'll be just wasting money... more importantly, are you the kind of person who does well with owning a business? My dad owned a business before and he had to sell it, because it was going nowhere, to his partner who eventually lost in total up to a good 600k. At the same time, my dad failed to maintain the business because he was never the business type. So for one thing, make sure you have the character to be money-pinching (even great business ideas at the wrong time can ruin your life savings). If you want to end up rich, you'll want to work with lots of money and see what ideas are out there. My personal take is that a working salary makes no one rich; you get wealthy by investing or by winning the lottery. So get some experience as a jr. financial analyst and work in a bank to see how they do things. That's one way. Another is to sell an idea - so are you the type of guy who can patent something original and practical? Underachieving is a poor way to put it. Parents have different priorities and from what my understanding, your's maybe especially stable and conservative so they'll probably go against every reason you have for striking the gold mine. However they'll probably give you more advice on work ethics than actually selling 'ideas'. If you want advice, ask someone who has a business and ask them how they started. More importantly, why do you think your parents fail to take their profession to the max? Was it a lack the ambition or skill or knowledge? Whatever it was that made them unsuccessful, make sure you work on it so that you don't fall in the same 'trap' that can keep you behind. Do not ignore the first two advice you got, education is the best way to get rich. It starts you off with the base so you can invest or whatever - so get certified and start working your ass off. The best is to work 2 jobs when you're young - off hours work and regular 9-5 as well. And save, save, save (which your parents are good at). So that way, you can interact with your parents, just take in what they're good at and leave it at that. Don't take every advice as gospel, even my own. Good luck.
7. What your parents do with their lives has nothing to do with what YOU want to accomplish with YOURS. Some people are happy in routine, 9 to 5 jobs, and others are not. Just because they don't approve of your plans doesn't mean you can't go ahead and dream big. What are they going to do, lock you in a cage so you can't go to college? If they don't care about your plans, then talk to people who do. Find others who share your ideas, talk to business men and women who are successful in their careers and ask them what they do to accomplish their goals. Tape a picture of Bill Gates to your bedroom wall--that guy started with nothing and now he's a billionaire! Surround yourself with positive, forward-thinking individuals and don't worry so much about your parents' opinions. Many people's parents don't approve of their life choices, it's a fact of life you have to live with. Once they see you becoming successful and happy, they'll probably change their minds and be proud of you.
8. Hi Idiocracy, Since I met you here, I always think that you are one of my son any way(sorry), with all of our differences. I hope you dont mind. Excuse me if my English is not perfect, OK ? I start w my own experience. Maybe you find a little light in it. I do it w my own son, he has to decide, I am only telling my experience and my thought, he would come back , many times w better thoughts. Here we are : Sure my Dad is a retired Police General,which means he was not doing badly. He came from mediocre faml, married to a "princess", (not quite) but mother came from a very2 rich family w a feodalistic back ground. It's not my father who "choosed" her in the 1st place, he was the one my mum's faml chooce. Why? I believed, my dad was a very charismatic person. Why? He had lots of "inwards" strength. How? *He had to think hard for himself, he was almost living like an orphan since he was young, as he came from a broken up family and the only child ever since he was about 6. *He had to dicipline himself very hard so he could survive. *He had a very good manner and conduct. So that was his quality he had that I think made him successful enough. What next? *He put a strict dicipline on me. ( Nothing about religion, I think he was worshipping his grandmother who loved him soooo much). *Infront of most people or at least among my 51 cousins, I think, for "prosperity wise", I have the most. ( I'm not in billion, but millions is fine). *I thought 20 years ago, I could be much more than what I have today, but although I love my hubby soooo much, I didn't like his "loose" habbit. What I think you can take from my experience is : DICIPLINE You are not too late, at least you have the WILLING" to be successfull. You are not too late, my step sons, I cought them when the eldest was early 20 and I was late 20, yet the 2nd late teens. They were "almost nowhere" ; My husband and his 1st wife seems arguing lots of real little things, so the 2 sons although they were not bad, they had no support (mentally), and very loose habbit and thinking. At least, the 2 now, again, although not in the billion, but some million are in their hands. ( they are now in mid 50& late 40) I was very strong, really like a "step" mother. ( different age was only 6.5 & 10 years I think). No smoke in the house (younger one smoked); OK for them to drink ( Iam muslim), but no "drunk". No married until they could support the family. Girl friend had to have a profesion. ( Both special and good teachers). Although my hubby post graduated and took Master, he was too loose to the 2 boys, none of them went to Uni or college, so the 2 boys had to work very hard, but with dicipline and have right vision, they get "somewhere". So, although their parents influence was not right, but then able to dicipline themselves ( I had hard times w them which they appreciate later and still now , although dad had passed), they are well off today. At least no chance to starve, have vacations o.s. on school holidays, can buy house for kids as well send them to good school and Uni, nice house nice cars etc. So, ignore your parents habbit, attitude,behaviours etc which you dont like, but be polite! That's more than enough.You're here in this earth w/o yr will ( I know you dont believe in God), it's out of yr control anyway. They will not, interfere you once you showed them you have better life than them. (My dad, being General tried to infere me a lot, until I showed him my own success, which was out of his knowledged). I always polite to dad, but pushed myself through my own thoughts, as I want to be better than him, I want to be better than my friends. ( As a start I have more than enough IQ to support, which I think you have good one too). Just tell yourself what you want to be. And work on it! Ask yr gf to join yr dream, both of you should have goal. I could do it easy (its not propaganda!!), as I join Islam, which has lots of strict rules in it. (When I read Bible, I felt nice but no "life", I read Qur'an, I got strength, courage, self respect, and a real "braveness" to fight my life. ) So, find any encouraging books you can find, whatever, maybe Harold Robins (which good for starters or people in "defeat" ), seek for strength , especially mentally. Jog. Try not to stop for a certain period of time and gradually longer and longer. Set a time, and do it in dicipline. That's a good start. ( not propaganda, ...imagine 5 times a day praying, same rituals , at set time ...huh it was not easy ....almost no logic in it, but mind you sure it "teach" me something ........I tell you again....It's NOT a PROPAGANDA). Eat : Right food, at a set times. That's just a start. Good luck Idiocracy! or Al !
9. Good question! IMHO, if your parents are underachievers, you must be a contrarian; just basically do everything they don't want you to do. I think you've gotten a good start by realizing that they do not have the same goals as you, therefore you can do best by not following their example. It sounds like they hate each other too much to do anything for themselves. Try not to hate anyone that much. You seem to have the drive and ambition necessary to be successful at whatever you do. Just be sure to keep your eyes on the prize, and don't get discouraged by adversity. That is the secret of my success. "The unexamined life is not worth living." Have you sat down and thought hard about the specific things you want out of life? Perhaps you have a vague idea, but maybe you ought to firm up the specifics in order to decide what path you will take. To paraphrase Thoreau, it is altogether right and proper that you should build your castles in the air; now go put the foundations under them. The beauty of living in a (semi-)capitalist society is that you always have a choice. Read Ayn Rand. She will give you the philosophical and moral underpinning necessary to live freely and fearlessly. One of my parents was a serious underachiever and scammer; the other is smart and hard-working but gets distracted too easily and wants very little out of life. My sister and I are much more successful than either of our parents.
10. Hi, My BF's mum is like that! He was out of work for a year and we had a baby, yet, when he got finally a job, his mum said "oh, I think they are going to use you and get rid of you"!! WTF!! I think, judging from your excellent questions on here, and the fact you're not scarred of thinking outside the box...(oh, and I can't believe your so young, you seem far wiser than any normal 24 year old)....you will go along way in what ever you do anyway, support or no support. Try keeping your ideas from your parents, atleast until you have something contrete in place, that way, if they critisise, you'll have the confidence and facts to proove you're right! Secondly, I think don't panic that you're not Rockerfeller just yet. I know some really intellegant people who are very successfull now, in their 30's, but neeeded to p1ss about a bit in their 20's to realise that life is short and passes by quickly. I'm no fool, but wasted my youth experimenting with things I shouldn't. I'm finally getting a good degree...at 33!