Degree Free

Want to guide your 16-20 year old to careers that help them reach their goals? Check out our workbook set:
➡️ https://degreefree.com/book

Want a custom career plan for your 16-20 year old?
Apply for the Degree Free Launch Program:
➡️ https://degreefree.com/launch

We got a call from a mom who was doing everything she thought she was supposed to do. Her son was 19, had left college, left trade school, and was stuck at home feeling depressed and directionless. Her solution was a life coach to help him feel better about where he was. We get why she did that.

But we think it's the wrong move, and here's why. A lot of what looks like executive function problems in young men this age is actually just a complete lack of direction. When you don't know where you're going, you don't know what to do. And when you don't know what to do, you freeze.

That's not a character flaw. That's a predictable outcome of having no clear path. What these young men actually need is work. Real work. Entry level roles where they show up, do the job, and earn respect for it. That process builds them. It gives them somewhere to put their energy.

It gives them a reason to get up. Sitting still and working on your feelings does not do that. The other mistake is telling them to just get any job. That's better than nothing, but it still leaves them in the wrong vehicle heading somewhere they don't want to go. What actually works is figuring out what they need from their work, finding the right strategic entry level roles, and building a real 12-month plan to get there.

We've done this with young adults for years. Parents tell us their child becomes a completely different person almost overnight. Not because we fixed something broken in them. Because they finally had somewhere to go.