Your value isn’t tied to the number of certifications you have or the prestige of your Ivy League degree.

“But you need this to get through the door,” they say.

What door?

How about taking charge of your career and building your own rooms instead?

We’ve been wired to believe that if we pay our dues, get the right certifications, and chase the next big thing, we’ll get picked.

You can either wait to be picked, or you can invest your time in doing actual work.

Stop signing up for things that make you wait for someone else’s approval. Instead, focus on developing skills that don’t require you to wait—skills that solve real problems and make your value visible by what you do.

And who says you can’t do both?

Optimize your wait time.