“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s the quintessential conversation starter for five-year-olds. Dependable, it practically guarantees you an answer. I see asking kids what they want to be when they grow up as priming the pump. It gets the juices flowing. It’s dreaming, which is a big piece of the puzzle, but the response typically given to their answers is what really pays off: You can be anything you want to be when you grow up.

As a kid, I used to say I wanted to be a pilot. I’d have been a terrible pilot. For starters, I never fully grasped the whole physics thing. I’m creative and collaborative. I like business strategy, people, and making connections. But I didn’t exactly know all this at age 5. When we’re children, we can’t provide informed answers to what we want to be, but as adults, we certainly can.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Life is Short (More Parent-Speak)

Back in 2011, I wanted to get into the short-term rental market. Specifically, I wanted a lake house with an income stream to offset costs. I wanted to be a rental property owner.

After months of searching, I finally found the perfect property, and then … I froze. Can I really manage a rental? What if the air conditioner goes out, or the water heater fails? What if no one ever books a stay at my house?  I was terrified, despite having modeled many worst-case scenarios and plotted potential solutions to such concerns. I couldn’t muster the courage to put in an offer on the property and went to bed that night thinking I’d probably abandon the idea altogether.

But the next morning, news broke that a local Dallas celebrity, Kidd Kraddick, a morning talk show host, had passed away unexpectedly. Though I never had the opportunity to meet the charismatic man, I’d listened to him driving to work for years. It felt like I knew him. And this news of his death flashed like a neon sign in my mind: LIFE IS SHORT. It became a pivot point for me.

Later that day, I put in the offer. Shortly after that, the sellers accepted it. And though owning the property hasn’t been challenge-free, it’s been a fruitful investment, one I’ve gotten to enjoy with my family for many summers.

Also True from the Parents: Can’t Never Could

“Can’t never could” is another parental adage that holds up. Technically, I’m talking about a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset, but “The Little Engine That Could” makes the point just fine. “I can’t” just can’t be a part of the entrepreneur’s vocabulary. The words hold dangerous power.

“I choose not to” is different. I choose not to take the risk. Or I choose not to leverage to this extent, etc. We must honor our unique risk tolerances. Outputs on a spreadsheet can be valid reasons not to try something but fear that you can’t cannot. Fear isn’t a reason not to try.

Are you what you want to be when you grow up?

Psst: Everyone Gets Scared

I recently finished the biography, Elon Musk, by Walter Isaacson, and of all that is covered in the book — which is a lot — what stood out to me most was this: Someone told young Elon, “You can be anything you want when you grow up,” and he believed it.

Pioneer for online banking? Check. Mass distributor of electric cars? Check. Implanter of brain-computer interfaces? Check? Rocket engineer? Check. Check. The first person to get Texans to consider a reimagined pickup? Penciled-in check mark.

If I ever get the chance to talk to Elon, I’m going to ask him to tell me about a time when he was scared. I know he’s been scared; he’s human. (Super-human counts.) But he pushes through his fear. Case in point: a rocket explosion on a world stage couldn’t deter the man.

Are you what you want to be when you grow up?

You can be anything you want when you grow up. And yes, kiddies, you can be more than one thing. What do you want to be? To do? To try? What’s holding you back? It’s time to act on the parental advice.