Make Monday Morning Feel Like Friday Night

"I'll never have another Friday night off," Eric Paslay tells me with a laugh when discussing his career. And he may be right. In April 2013, the Texas-born singer/songwriter released an ode to the weekend called "Friday Night," and it quickly reached No. 1 on the country charts. Knowing that this song was his first major single off his debut album, one could conclude that Paslay was an overnight success, but his story attests to the opposite.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with him and learning about the journey he took to become a successful artist. His story reminded me of the hardships many of my young patients are faced with while struggling to establish a career. While Paslay is only in his 30s, his story reflects many of the challenges that millennials, the largest generation in America, face today. The average income for this generation is falling, when historically one would expect that as they gain seniority and years of experience in the workplace, their incomes would increase. Approximately 300,000 millennials are both college graduates but also minimum-wage earners. And their financial obligations due to student loans and credit cards are at record levels. Sadly, stories of young adults having to move back home because of unemployment or underemployment are not uncommon.

While those are the economic realities, the difficulty of being a young adult today also manifests in mental health problems. When the American Psychological Association studied this generation, they found their levels of stress to be 20 percent higher than all other previous generations. Today's college students have five times greater rates of sadness and worry than those living during the Great Depression. Despite having absolutely no mental illness, many millennials experience emotional distress or confusion about what goals to pursue or how to pursue them.

What can Eric Paslay, an unassuming country up-and-comer, teach today's young adults? His story of becoming a professional singer and songwriter is one that embodies persistence and finding meaningfulness through work. His philosophy for living may help give the 2 million young people graduating from college this year -- and many other young adults -- a more successful and happier life as they transition to the workforce.

Keep on Dreaming -- Meaningfulness Through Work

"Even if it Breaks Your Heart" was co-written by Paslay and nominated for a Grammy in 2013. It captures Paslay's philosophy for a life well-lived. It's a song about a young boy who follows his dream of becoming a musician, despite challenges and heartbreak. The song's message is one of perseverance.

Paslay shared with me that while he wrote this song with his friend Will Hoge, they discussed criticisms they received after telling people they chose songwriting as a career. People would often make remarks like, "get a real job," but Paslay's passion for music helped him continue his journey. "If people work in something they don't love, they are not going to feel fulfilled," Paslay explains.

Not by Dreams Alone -- Planning

When Paslay arrived in Nashville, it was not as though the city was waiting to make a star out of the next talented songwriter who arrived. In fact, hundreds of young and talented people arrive in Music City each year with dreams of success. Paslay, though, did not arrive just with dreams; he arrived with resolve to make his calling the center of his professional life.

He recalls internships where he had to change light bulbs at the Nashville office of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (the organization that awards the Grammys). He became a regular volunteer at music industry charity events because he knew that serving his community would help give him greater stages from which to share his music with others. "I thought if you have a job to do and you do it well people will ultimately have confidence to allow you do the job you want to do," Paslay says.

He went from being an intern at a company that represents country songwriters to getting his first professional songwriting job there in 2006. Paslay understood that establishing his career wasn't going to happen overnight. It took years of planning, hard work and seizing opportunities that allowed for growth and chances to prove himself. He told me, "People have to know, if you're chasing something, it has to be a lifelong investment."

Criticism -- Seeing Opportunities for Growth

After spending much of their lives in schools that often provide excessive accolades and grade inflation, many millennials face hardship when arriving into a world that greets them by pointing out where they are performing below expectation. Getting criticized is part of the human experience, but what sets apart success from failure is the response to criticism.

"There was a time that I didn't get on a tour and pretty much all of my buddies got on it. When I asked why, the promoter told me 'You're just not rocking enough,'" Paslay says. "The next show, I sang my heart out and I discovered I could sing in a way that I had never done before. I am grateful I didn't get on that tour because I ended up singing in a way that I sing now where you just pour it all out."

If you are new to the workplace, you may be drawn towards people who praise your work and people for whom you can seem to do no wrong. This is natural as everyone needs positive feedback but eventually you will receive feedback that will hurt. If you can push through the hurt and incorporate the advice rather than simply rejecting it, you have an important ingredient to professional success.

Making Monday Morning Feel Like Friday Night

For those just entering the workforce, the message of Paslay's career so far is clear. To be successful, one needs to position themselves so that they can eventually look forward to Monday mornings as much as Friday nights. Getting to that point takes planning, it takes perseverance, and it takes receiving criticism and responding to it through self-improvement. Even if it breaks your heart.