Lots of great red pill advice in this Forbes article

Some of my favorites:

Don’t Wait to Be Told What to Do – You can’t have a sense of entitlement without a sense of responsibility. You’ll never get ahead by waiting for someone to tell you what to do.

I quickly learned in the Marine Corps that being proactive is a great way to get ahead of your peers who wait to be told what to do. It makes you look good to your managers, and a lot of times you get to choose what you want to do instead of being told to do something you don't want to do.

Be the First In & Last to Leave ­– I give this advice to everyone starting a new job or still in the formative stages of their professional career. You have more ground to make up than everyone else around you, and you do have something to prove. There’s only one sure-fire way to get ahead, and that’s to work harder than all of your peers.

You don't get to be in the top 10-20% of your peers without putting in some serious effort. That applies to the gym too. Be there day in day out and you will see results.

Speak Up, Not Out – We’re raising a generation of sh-t talkers. In your workplace this is a cancer. If you have issues with management, culture or your role & responsibilities, SPEAK UP. Don’t take those complaints and trash-talk the company or co-workers on lunch breaks and anonymous chat boards. If you can effectively communicate what needs to be improved, you have the ability to shape your surroundings and professional destiny.

This is also huge for your social life. Learning how to deal with people who you disagree with without being a push over and without being an asshole is by far one of the best things you can do for yourself.