Here are 13 lessons that you’ll need to learn swiftly in order to soar above the crowd.

1. Harness your ego: There are 2 performance mentalities: ego-based and growth-based. Ego-based leaders and workers have a sense of entitlement. They judge and compare. Improvement is moderate at best with this type of mentality. Growth-based minds improve daily. They have eliminated jealousy and the role of the victim. This mentality has a thirst for learning. They only have one motto: “I’m improving… everyday.”

2. Look the part: Take every dime you have and invest in a success wardrobe. The last thing that you want to look like is a college student. Seek guidance from an expert. You don’t need to dress where the CEO dresses, but you need to come close. Purchase shoes that the CEO would wear. You’re not trying to look cool; you’re trying to look polished, savvy and ambitious. Let your wardrobe reflect self-discipline, concentration, optimism, relaxation and enjoyment. Stand out with your mind, not your wardrobe. I think every graduation gift should be cash and clothing gift certificates. The more you dress up the more you will take yourself seriously. Remember: you’re not trying to get a job- you’re trying to get a career.

3. Dress rehearse every day: “I’ve never had a day that I haven’t already had.” Make that quote your new motto. Plan by relaxing and quieting your mind the night before. Mentally create a short, macro-movie of the next day. See three items you will accomplish. See them in finished state, using all your faculties of sight, touch, smell, taste and feel to help create a realistic movie. See it as it will be.

4. Work backwards: See the end result first. Then illuminate a reverse pathway from B to A. Now walk on the pathway as if it’s so. If you get off track at any point, you will now have a path to find your way back. This is where you must be relentless and persistent in moving towards your vision of a successful career.

5. Influence minds: What do you want the interviewer to think when you walk away from the office? Understand that your thoughts influence his or hers. What do you want your boss to think every day about you when you’ve left the job? What these people think about you when you’re not there is your biggest quest. You need to be inquisitive and interview the interviewer about his/her company. In addition, ask your superior questions about how he/she makes money.

Understand how you’re an integral part of something greater than yourself. Being inquisitive in a positive way will set you apart from the rest. Take notes wherever possible. Journal each day you had at the workplace as well as your interviews. With this mindset, you will begin to influence the thoughts of the people that can make a difference in your career.

6. Respect: Earning respect takes a long time. Losing it can occur within a second. But the best way to garner respect in the workplace is to give respect to the people who came before you. Understand the history and traditions of the company. Be respectful of the processes that are in place- do not take them for granted. And do not judge them without contemplation. Be mindful of manners and protocol. It’s little things that earn respect. Stand up when someone enters your work space. Look people in the eye within the first 90 seconds that you greet them. Listen without interrupting. Nod in understanding their point of view; you may not agree, but acknowledge that you understand. When you increase your respect within a company, your paycheck will rise proportionately.

7. Pay attention to detail: Be the MVP of the office by making everyone better. It’s ok to let others have the credit.

8. Become an expert: We’re still in a supply and demand world. Volunteer for every project in a company. Learn everything from top to bottom. When your passion is ignited, you may have found your path of expertise. This is where you hone your skills.

9. Do your homework: When the work day is finished, your job has just begun. Research everything about the competition, the company, its history, its customers. Do your due diligence. Study. Study. Study. This is how you short-cut the need for experience.

10. Launch your network: Memorialize everyone you meet in the workplace. Keep great records of everyone you meet in interviews, your parents’ friends, your teachers’ recommendations, class project group members and anyone else that’s already in the business world. This will be your gold mine during the next 20 years. Stake your claim to each of these contacts and find a reason to get in touch with them on a regular basis.

11. Beware of Social Media: Yes it’s the new form of communication and you are one of its experts. However, for every buddy or friend that goes to your page, a vice president or CEO can equally do the same. You’re not in college any more. Avoid the obvious: profanity, off-color innuendos and pictures of you in a sombrero with four semi-nude babes from Cabo.

12. Balance your life: All work and no play will make you a dull person. And all play will put a ceiling on your success in the workplace. Segregate your life into stand alone arenas or containers. Have a vision, goals and corresponding tasks for each. Spend time with family, friends, co-workers and not least importantly, yourself. Take time just for you. Treat yourself like a champion with regular exercise, good nutrition and a lot more rest than you received in college.

13. Keep your chin up: Try this exercise. Shut your eyes and think of a negative thought as you drop your head to your chest. (Throughout the exercise your eyes will be shut.) With a negative thought still in your mind, raise your head to the ceiling. Now drop your head back down to your chest. Repeat one more time.

75% of everyone who has tried this exercise has reported that when their head went up, either the negative thought went away or you had to reconfigure it to make it clear. However, when your head dropped, the negative thought was very robust, clear and vibrant. If you experienced this, understand that Mom and Dad were right: Keep your chin up. By starting at the bottom of the rung within any company, you will be hit with negatives on a regular basis: poor management, confusing communication, lack of clarity, over-zealous and pompous bosses, tyrannical managers and a ridiculously low paycheck coupled with a monstrous workload. To survive the rough seas of a workplace, keep your chin up. For every negative that hits you, your knee-jerk reaction should be to raise your chin.

When times are tough and thoughts proportionately increase, many of us go into fetal position in order to sequester ourselves against any hardship. This defensive state may protect a few assets, but in the long run it will lead to your demise. Without being foolish, realize that good fortune favors the bold.

Tomorrow I leave for Augusta, GA to assist Mat Goggin as he competes for the Green Jacket at the Masters. How does one get ready for a major performance such as this?  Below are 7 tips to help you prepare for the spotlight, whether it be before a sales presentation, a sporting event, a speaking engagement or any other major performance.

1. Take care of your body. Make sure you have plenty of rest, have eaten well-balanced meals and have hydrated well for several days beforehand. The important key here is rest. 7-8 hours of sleep prior to a big event will ensure that you will have enough energy left when it’s crunch time. Most people underestimate how much energy is expended when the stress arrives at full throttle.

2. Prepare to frame the event. The art of framing is knowing exactly how you want to open and exactly how you would like to close. Dress rehearsing your intro and ending is extremely important. Prepare to start strong and end strong.

3. Deal from strength. Go in to this event prepared to showcase what you do best. Several days before the event physically and mentally rehearse your core strengths. Know what they are and be proud of them. Most performers do the opposite. They work on parts of their performance in which they have the least amount of confidence. This is not the best way to go into a major event. Always deal from strength.

4. Dress rehearse your time line. The night before, work backwards chronologically with the following question: What do I want the people at the event, meeting, game or performance to think when the event is over? See this as if it’s so in your mind. Now work backwards. See your closing. See the main points of the performance. Perceive your introduction. Mentally organize yourself from the time of the performance in reverse to the time you wake up. This ensures you’ll have ample time to be prepared or adjust if something goes awry. It also helps to plan what and when you are going to eat. Champions go from B to A and then back from A to B.

5. Butterflies. Remember: The butterflies are an accumulation of feelings from your capillaries and blood vessels in your stomach constricting in order to divert the blood to the head for clarity and to the large muscles for physical speed, strength, quickness and balance. This physical phenomenon is your body preparing you to enter a purposeful calm mindset that most performers find just after they open. The butterflies are positive. When they arrive, close your eyes, take ten deep breaths and clear your mind. After 30 seconds, open your eyes and continue the routines that you envisioned the night before.

6. Detach from the results. This is where your routines come in. Routines that you’ve practiced prior to the performance will give you familiarity and confidence even though you’re executing them under different circumstances and conditions. Continue to do the same things that you always have.

7. Free will. More than likely you have chosen to be a part of this event. You had free will. With no regrets, enjoy the process and enjoy the moment. Period. Music, smiling or a light movement workout is a good way to get the joy and enthusiasm into any performance.