10 Tips by Steve Jobs for Kids

Innovate, Create, and Dream: 10 Insights for Kids by Steve Jobs

1. Learn how to anticipate the future.

Steve Jobs has been living proof of this quote all of his life. Apple has reaped the benefits from Steve’s ability to anticipate future trends. They dominated digital music sales (shrinking the market of CD music sales), while the iPhone has also revolutionized the phone industry by introducing a very sophisticated touchscreen-based phone.

The ability to anticipate the future is essential to achieving your goal and success. An example of how we can apply this to our life is by visioning what we want to be in one year (or five years, ten years, and so on) from now. By having the vision, we can anticipate future roadblocks and prepare to overcome them. For example: if you are currently working as an employee but see your future self as an entrepreneur, you can start learning the skills that might benefit the future.

2. Focus on the positive.

Steve Jobs was an adopted child. He could have easily hated his life (and his parents – biological and adoptive) and started getting involved with negative things during his teenage years.

However, young Steve Jobs kept focusing on the positive: he was thankful for his loving adoptive parents and found a positive channel (technology and computer) to pour his energy into. In the end, we all know what he achieved.

You, too, can benefit from the power of positive thinking. If you often see the glass as half-empty, focus on the positive things in your life, and you will surely reap many benefits.

3. Fail forward

Everybody fails. It is how you respond to those failures that make all the difference. In 1984, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple.

At Stanford’s 2005 commencement address, he had this to say about it:

“I did not see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of success was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.”

The lesson from Steve’s story is: that we should not fear failure because failure is not the end of the road. We must take failure as an opportunity to learn and improve ourselves; success is inevitable.

4. Travel the world

The year before he founded Apple, Jobs journeyed to India. Travel has a way of broadening a person’s perspective and expanding their sense of what’s possible – those are both traits an entrepreneur needs.

Traveling does not have to cost you lots of money or time. A simple weekend getaway to another city nearby might be enough for you to experience new things and broaden your horizon.

5. Find the right partner.

Steve Jobs started Apple with others. He had a great partner in the form of Steve Wozniak, who complimented Job’s skillset very well.

Likewise, you need to pick the right partner in your life so that you can be successful. The people whom you surround yourself with might make or break your life. So, choose wisely, and it will help your way to success.

6. Obstacles are opportunities in disguise.

Jobs and Wozniak ran out of money while developing the first Apple computer. Instead of giving in, Jobs sold his van, and Wozniak sold his graphing calculator. When there is a will, there is a way.

Learn to see obstacles as opportunities in disguise. Once you do that, there will always be ways to overcome those obstacles.

7. Take risks

Steve Jobs was willing to cannibalize his company’s products for progress. Many CEOs would have hesitated to develop the iPhone, knowing full well that it would help to make the iPod obsolete – but Jobs did it anyway (and took a big bite out of the lucrative mobile market).

Most of the time, we must take risks to move forward. Just be careful and make sure that the risk that you took was a calculated risk. Think thoroughly, weigh the best and worst scenarios of action against each other, and then you can decide whether the risk is worth taking.

8. Surround yourself with great people.

Not only did Steve Jobs have Steve Wozniak as a partner, but he also worked with Tim Cook, Johny Ive, and John Lasseter (Pixar CCO). Steve Jobs has undoubtedly surrounded himself with great people that have much strength. This has enabled Jobs to create massive success with Apple and Pixar.

You can learn from him and make sure that you surround yourself with great people (people who compliment your skillset) in order to achieve success.

9. Remember, you will be dead soon.

“Remembering that I will be dead soon is the most important tool I have ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”

When you are confused, scared, embarrassed, or anything, remember that you will be dead soon. Life is short, so make sure that you make it count.

10. Be bold and learn from others.

In high school, Jobs attended lectures at a computer technology company called Hewlett-Packard. Before turning 21, Steve had worked for both HP and Atari. He saw what these companies were doing and learned what he wanted to do differently with Apple.

You, too, can benefit from learning from others. I see this with many people who tried to achieve a specific goal (e.g., losing weight). They have been trying hard. However, they are not seeing any results.

Sometimes, help from a coach is all they need. It provides them with moral support, accountability, expertise, and a structured plan that helps them get results and achieve their goal.

In conclusion, Steve Jobs’ tips for kids testify to his relentless pursuit of innovation, creativity, and excellence. By emphasizing the importance of following one’s passions, embracing failure, and thinking outside the box, Jobs inspires young people to break free from conventional thinking and pursue their dreams with determination and courage.

His insights on design, technology, and leadership illustrate that success is not just about achieving financial gain or fame but also about positively impacting the world.

We can be inspired by Steve Jobs’ legacy and his contribution to technology and creativity as we look to the future. Whether young or an adult, the lessons from Steve Jobs’ life and work can help you become a better version of yourself and achieve your full potential.

We hope you found these tips by Steve Jobs for kids inspiring and thought-provoking. Which tip resonated with you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below and share this article with your friends and family. By applying these valuable insights to our lives and encouraging the next generation to do the same, we can build a brighter future for all.

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