We had two graduations in our house this month. A senior who is going to college and an eighth grader who is going to high school. With two, you have many conversations over and over. Where are you going? What will you study? Are you excited or nervous?

You’ve seen the same and have had your own experience.

They are going to improve themselves over the next 4 years. They have no choice. That’s how the system is designed. They are forced to become better and different as they walk through the next season.

I’ll illustrate my point in pictures. I’ll save my kids from the pictorial and will use my own pictures, which are WAY more fun to post. Here are three pictures of me. (The first two are photos of actual photos, btw … I’m that old.)

Far left photo is me as a junior in high school. Long hair (I had hair, people!) coming out of my death metal phase as the sweet sounds of West Coast hip hop started to fill the air. I still love death metal and rap.

The middle is a college fraternity pic (VTL!). Lop off those long split ends and focus on becoming a man while learning about what I might be when I grow up.

Finally, on the right is me now. Bald. Beard. Beautiful.

OK. Back to my kids graduating. They are forced to change – like I was, and you were.

But what about now? No one is forcing you to do anything at this point. Sure, you have to go to work but really, you get to decide.

Are you improving? Are you making yourself better? Are you putting yourself in new and uncomfortable spots to grow?

What about your company?

Do you have a built-in refusal to be satisfied with what’s currently working? For business owners, this isn’t perpetual restlessness. It’s refusing to confuse what’s working with what’s possible. Stability and the insatiable focus on excellence and wow are not opposites.

Where do you need to obsolete yourself and your company before someone else does? What isn’t broken and could increase the value of your company 5x? What could you delegate and help an employee realize their full potential within your company?

Is the market making you get better? Are you satisfied with where you are? Do you have plans and goals for where you want to go?

There are no more graduations to force you to level up and focus. Here’s your permission to do it now.

Note: It’s also really fun to show your kids what you looked like at the age they are now. Totally worth finding those pics and telling some stories!