The Young Project Manager

Culture shapes how you think. It changes your life in small ways that you only notice later.

But before we talk about how culture helps you, let’s be clear on what we’re talking about.

When I say “culture,” I don’t mean fancy events or knowing the name of every artist in a museum. I’m talking about the basic, human version of culture: values, habits, knowledge, experiences. The things we learn over time that shape how we see the world. That’s the kind of culture I want you to build for yourself.

And the simplest, most effective way to build that? Reading.

Reading is not just a school activity. It’s not homework. It’s the tool that sharpens your thinking and expands your mind. It’s how you grow your vocabulary, yes, but more than that — it’s how you learn to express yourself, to understand things you couldn’t before.

Paper books, digital articles, even a well-written newsletter. The format doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re feeding your brain with things that challenge you to think better.

Every day, we scroll through so much information. News, posts, articles. Some of it teaches us something new. A word we didn’t know. A concept we never heard before. But here’s the catch: it only adds to your culture if you take a moment to understand it.

It’s like cooking. Having all the ingredients is useless if you never mix them into a recipe. Reading works the same way. You can consume a lot, but if you never pause to digest it, you’re just piling up unused information.

And when you read with intention, something powerful happens: you start connecting ideas. You begin to write better, explain better, think clearer. One skill leads to another.

There’s also this thing we don’t talk enough about: knowledge fades if you don’t use it. How many things from school have you already forgotten? Probably more than you’d like to admit. Some of it, maybe it’s fine to forget. But a lot of useful knowledge simply disappears because we don’t keep it alive.

Regular reading is like exercising your brain. It keeps your knowledge fresh. It helps you avoid silly mistakes in writing, thinking, or even in conversations.

But now comes the tricky part: not all reading is good reading.

I see many people, especially young ones, consuming tons of useless content online. Reading gossip, shallow articles, endless memes. The problem isn’t the fun. The problem is when you fill your head with so much noise that it becomes hard to focus on things that truly matter.

Another trap is “decorating” knowledge. People read a lot but don’t reflect. They repeat what they read, but they can’t explain it in their own words. This is not real learning. This is just showing off.

In the next years, I believe one of our biggest challenges will be choosing well what we read. With so much information around us, the winners will be those who know how to select, reflect, and really understand what’s happening.

It’s not about reading more. It’s about reading better.

That’s how you build real culture in your life.

Early in your career, you feel this urgency. You want things to happen fast. Big goals, big results, big recognition. You rush to open doors, to grab the first good opportunity. But then comes the real question: who can actually help you take those first steps?

In the beginning, everything feels difficult. Challenges appear from everywhere, in all shapes. And often, you are left wondering if you’re even on the right path.

It’s normal. We all want to achieve great things early. That rush to “get there” is part of being young and ambitious. But here’s something you need to remember: careers are not built in sprints. It’s more like a slow, steady climb. Not glamorous, but solid.

What really matters is not how fast you move. It’s that you keep moving. One step. Then another. No matter the size of the step. Progress is progress.

Now, let’s talk about something people forget: there’s no magic formula for a successful career. No “one-size-fits-all” rule. So many things influence your path — the company you work for, the people you meet, the environment you’re in. Things you can’t control. But there’s one thing you can control: your own effort and dedication. That’s always yours.

Still, you won’t get far alone.

Your network — the people you connect with — plays a huge role. Often bigger than you expect. Opportunities come from conversations. From relationships you built long before you needed them.

That’s why you should focus on giving, not taking. Help people. Share what you know. Be someone useful, someone who adds value to others. And do it without expecting anything back. The funny thing is, when you stop chasing immediate returns, the right opportunities tend to find you. It might take time, but they do.

This is how I try to live every day. I want to be someone people remember as valuable, as trustworthy. And that’s what builds a strong network.

Be confident. Trust the relationships you are building. People can open doors you didn’t even know existed.

But first, you have to be the kind of person they want to open doors for.

Persistence is not just about being stubborn. It’s a skill. A real one. The kind that takes you from “I wish” to “I did it.”

When you’re persistent, you keep going after your goals, even when it gets hard, even when nobody believes in you yet. That’s how dreams become visible. You can literally see them happening in your life.

Look at people who succeed — they have two things in common: they believe in themselves, and they don’t give up easily. Simple, right? But when you’re young, that confidence can feel far away. You’re still figuring out who you are, so it’s normal. But here’s the thing: if you don’t believe in your abilities, who will?

If you’re not living like that today, it’s okay. But it’s time to change. Little by little, but starting now.

First, be clear about what you want. Very clear. Don’t say “I want to be successful.” Say what that means for you. A job? A business? A project finished? Without clarity, you’ll end up working hard but going nowhere. Like running on a treadmill.

Also, think about your time. Your time is your life, hour by hour. Stop spending it on things that don’t get you closer to your goals. Time wasted is energy wasted, and you don’t get refunds on that.

Set deadlines. Concrete ones. A goal without a date is just a nice thought. But be smart: don’t plan for things that are impossible today. Big dreams are fine, but they grow with small, realistic steps. One step at a time. That’s how you build real progress.

Stay focused. Every single day, if you can.

There’s another point people forget: your habits. They’re the secret weapons. Good habits build the life you want, one quiet day after another. Start small. Pick one new habit that helps your goal and stick with it. Then another. Before you notice, your projects will start moving faster, and you’ll feel stronger.

Now, let’s clear up a common mistake: persistence doesn’t mean repeating errors. Persisting in doing the wrong thing is not persistence. That’s just being stubborn and, frankly, a little lazy. People stay in their comfort zone because changing feels uncomfortable. But growth is always uncomfortable. You know that.

So, track your progress. Get a notebook, an app, a calendar, whatever works for you. Write down each small win. Seeing those small steps will remind you that you are moving forward. Slowly maybe, but forward.

And why does it matter? Because nobody else will measure your progress for you. You need to see it yourself.

You deserve to see how close you’re getting to your dream.

And that deserves a bit of celebration too.

Everyone who are very young find themselves with a lack of credibility, but only you know if you are too young for something in your life and understand when is the time to do what you wanna do.

This text is for you who are young and seek to prove your ability and your strong ideas around the any areas of your life.

Young people often see adverse situations and one of the most common is the lack of credibility about work done in the recently past and projects that are already being put into practice to her lives.

When I decided to put a website on the air to talk with young people in Brazil about career and personal development, it was a very important decision in my life. This project was something that I had been planning a long time and with very concrete and great goals to the future.

Note: When you see the future with clarity and can give the first step, you see a lot of opportunities open in front of your eyes.

On the other hand, under no circumstances did I allow the age be an excuse to leave for later anything that I planned to do in my life, and I learned day by day that to leave for later anything that you consider important, regardless of being of your professional or personal life, is another excuse that does not build winners. 

You and me want to be winners in our lives! I bet, yes!

The most interesting thing (and what motivates me to do what I do) is that when we take on a role of responsibility and believe in ourselves, we are planting good things to reap good fruit in the future.

When you assume an important role too young, you have all responsibility for this with you. 

So, the question here is that only you can tell if you are too young to have success right now.

At the time, assuming you are now just 16 years old and you are starting a business that you consider too big, go ahead and don’t be afraid.

Your age just begins to be a problem for you when you let it be a barrier in your life. So simple as that may seem, do not let yourself slow down your growth.

You can be absolutely sure that only you will be able to understand if you are ready or not, and only you are responsible for establishing when it is time to take each step.

And just a important thing: I did not say it will be easy, on the contrary, you can expect all sorts of difficulties that may come along your journey, but believe that if you have the commitment and the dedication to run behind your dream, today is the right day to start. 

Maybe more one hour can be too late.

Go ahead and believe that your future is built only by you and right now.