Not Today
The phrase, 'Not Today' can literally change our lives and how we respond to circumstances. Read on for more.
Really?…………… It’s not coming home!
The World Cup brought a fair share of drama into our lives for a few weeks. Real life also has its own drama and there are some parallels we can draw from both.
Location, Location, Location
I watched a video clip of a Google employee talking about Visual Positioning System (VPS) being the next step up from Global Positioning System (GPS).
I’m delighted about that as too many times, I have wondered what direction 10 yards SW is. Having a visual positioning system, that will use my location and identified landmarks to direct me is exciting.
This got me thinking about where we are going in life – career, relationship and business. Where do we need to get to from our current location? Do we have the right infrastructures to help us get there with minimal mistakes along the way?
Are we using a GPS which sometimes doesn’t work or gives unclear direction that requires us to initially go the wrong way just to figure out what the right way is?
Here are some of my thoughts on this
Figure out your starting point and final destination
The two things every gadget needs to direct us are our starting and end locations. For any goals or life journey, we need to map out the road.
If our starting point is unclear, chances are we will waste resources and if our end point is unclear, we will miss our destination. So do an honest assessment of where you are, which might mean facing some denials that you’re currently living in.
Maybe you blame everyone, but you, for your current position, you believe the odds are stacked against you, you don’t have what it takes or perhaps it’s just not your luck. If so, it’s time to bin these thoughts and take a risk on yourself.
Doing nothing produces nothing but taking a risk could result in something.
Determine the best route to get to your destination.
Through my career, I had short, medium and long-term plans to help achieve my goals. I found that when I meticulously followed them, I achieved most of my goals in the set timescales.
How are you going to get to your destination? Do you have a plan and are you committed to it? Every step you take should move you closer to your end goal if you have created the right plan.
A plan is just a bunch of ideas until you follow through. Keep your plans in plain sight so you and others can hold you to account.
Find a mentor
Mentors have made a difference in my personal and professional lives.
Some have stretched and challenged me, giving me the confidence to put myself forward for opportunities sooner that I would have wanted to. This has resulted in fantastic outcomes and proving to myself that I am more capable than I sometimes give myself credit for.
Mentors can help get you to your destination, saving you time and effort as you learn from their expertise and experience. This is similar to Google app giving you directions that improves your chances of getting to your destination quicker.
What chapter are you in ‘Your Book’?
The inspiration for this week’s post came as I walked out of my front door and spotted one of my plants with little buds that signalled life.
Through the winter months, my garden looks dire, dreary and uninspiring. Some plants look like dried twigs and it’s very tempting to give up on them.
One year, I told my gardener that we needed to uproot a plant as it was dead but he smiled and told me it was still fine and we should just wait and see. He pruned the plant which was painful to watch and true to form, the hydrangea came back to life looking as beautiful as ever.
This makes me think of our lives as being more than snapshots of events. We often see each other’s lives in moments or based on time periods and very rarely do we see the totality of a person’s life.
When we look at ourselves and others, what do we see? Do we see a failure or a disappointment? Perhaps you see an unsuccessful career, a fading glory or a failing business? Maybe you see a successful career, marriage and family.
Regardless of what we see, we need to know that life can be likened to reading a chapter in a book, watching a clip from a movie or seeing a plant in a particular season.
So, what does this mean for me and for you?
Don’t give up on yourself
For me it means hope and it encourages me to never give up because what appears dead today can be alive tomorrow. This can be a dream, career, marriage, relationship, business and your faith. Even when my plants look dead, the potential for life is still there though hidden to my natural eyes.
Don’t judge isolated moments or seasons
It reminds me never to judge anyone based on the season they are in. Perhaps things aren’t great today, but it can and will turn around. We need to remember that a blip is just a blip and it doesn’t mean it’s over.
Don’t give up on others
I'm encouraged not to give up on others. We need to learn to see beyond an event in a person’s life, see past a poor choice or bad decision they’ve made and help them to see so they don’t give into despair. I am sure we all know at least one person who appeared to miss it big time based on a mistake but that’s not always the end of the story.
I have seen teenage mothers go back to university and get their qualifications, wayward sons come back home and rebuild their lives, ex-convicts starting all over again and moving on to have successful careers and family. I have also seen broken relationships healed and restored.
Get where you want to go
I ended my last post by referring to the quote by Henry David Thoreau that says, "Never look back unless you are planning to go that way."
It is easy to say don’t look back but, some people might ask, ‘what does that mean or what practical steps can I take?’
This quote is a timely reminder at a time when I'm leaving my old career behind to pursue new opportunities. There's a risk that I could be tempted to look back at the familiar especially at those times when fear and self-doubt will inevitably crop up.
This happens to the best of us and I must think now of what to do when that happens. I need a plan now as it will be too late to come up with one if fear and self-doubt has already crept in.
So, here are some tips to help you move in the direction you want to go.
Know the ‘What’ and ‘Why’
Write down the vision and your 'why'. This is critical as if you don’t know where you are going, there’s no way to know when you arrive. At the earliest stage, define what you want to achieve and why it is important. This becomes your motivation.
Create a plan of action Have a plan so you know what to do on a daily and weekly basis. This will be useful on days when you’re not in the mood or don’t feel motivated. If you stick with the scheduled actions and discipline yourself to follow through, you will move in the right direction.
Timing…. Why now?
I have asked myself this question on many occasions.
I worked in Banking for over 16 years. While this wasn’t a planned career path, I made the most of the opportunities I had. I got many qualifications, moved through different areas of the bank and worked with many amazing people as well as some challenging ones.
Through it all, I honed my skills and grew both personally and professionally with loads of exciting and truly joyful moments.
On the one hand, I wouldn’t trade any of it but on the other hand, I can't help asking myself. 'What would have been if I had figured out and pursued my purpose and passion all these years?'.
What would I have accomplished if I became organized sooner, facing my fears and tackling the insecurities that have kept me in my comfort zone?
As I asked myself, ‘why now?’, I took the time to think about the past two decades. I thought of the people I have met, my mistakes, the learnings and wisdom gleaned from others.
I realise my life is richer now and I have more to offer to the world. I know that instead of looking back, I've got to press forward, forge ahead and trust that now is a great time to start.