Over the past week we have taken a journey to the City of Success (Post 1, 2, & 3). As you read along you may have noticed a theme similar to the Wizard of Oz. We started in a land where the tools, paychecks, and ideas were small. While similar to the Land of the Munchkins in the Oz story, in this land everyone is normal size but the tools and the ideas are tiny.
Have you ever found yourself in a place like this?
I know I have and it can be a very frustrating place. Ask yourself some questions.
- In your job, do you work real hard for a small paycheck?
- Are your co-workers interested in advancement or just getting by?
- Is there a ladder to success or are you stuck in a rut?
- Do your co-workers put you down when you work hard or put in extra time?
I have been in jobs like this in the past. The walls of this tiny city can be pretty intimidating and you may feel there is no way out. Your co-workers may be one of the biggest hindrances to leaving. After all – you do have some fun on the job at times and you do get a paycheck. You wouldn’t want to leave your friends behind… would you? But then you look at your paycheck on payday and realize it doesn’t go very far.
How can you leave?
There is a road out, but you will face many obstacles along the way. The people in your town will not want you to leave and you may have trouble even finding a path out. Once you commit to the path things may come at you fast and furiously. In our story you had the negative voices from a forest of trees. In real life these voices may come from family and loved ones. Your co-workers may chime in with statements like…
- You don’t have any skills…
- Remember the last time you tried something new…
- You’ve got bills to pay…
- What are you thinking…
When these voices come, the world can be a pretty dark place. The more negative the words, the darker the forest gets, until many people turn around and go back to their safe surroundings. Sometimes the only way to overcome these voices is to run… and run fast.
If you are successful overcoming the negativity you’ll surely find the flying monkeys coming your way quickly. These insidious creatures will land on your shoulder and start talking in your ear. Fear and temptation are their game and their voices come on loud and strong… They whisper….
- You’ll lose everything…
- They’ll take your car…
- Your spouse will leave you…
- The new job will be worse than the one you have…
After the monkey of fear is done, the monkey of temptation may chime in…
- Come drinking with us…
- Take the day off and let’s go surfing…
- Quit your job and get unemployment…
- Try these pills, they’ll make you feel better…
Some of these monkeys can really stop you in your tracks. Realize that no matter what you do these monkeys may land on your shoulder from time to time. There are really only two options… you can brush them off and move forward or let them sit there and crawl onto your back. Once you get a monkey on your back, moving forward is really tough and it is much harder to reach them to knock them off. Sometimes the only way to get them off your back is having someone else knock them off.
The best way to keep monkeys from landing is to keep moving forward. If you have a destination in mind and you are moving along the path, the monkeys will find it much harder to land. Brush those monkeys off and get going.
As you get further along your path, sooner or later you’ll come to a bridge that you are unable to cross. Someone or some thing will stand in your way to advancement. Maybe it’s the college degree bridge or possibly the certificate bridge that stands in your way. If this is your first time at the bridge it may be experience that holds you back.
To get across you’ll need the proper credentials. In many cases there will be no substitute for the degree or certificate. If you want to cross that bridge you’ll need to put in the time and effort to get the piece of paper that allows you access. You’ll have to ask yourself if what lies on the other side of the bridge is worth the time and effort it takes to cross it.
Once you have crossed a few bridges on your journey you may find one with a gate keeper that holds you back. This person may take the form of a boss, a manager, or a hiring agent. They may ask you tough questions that you don’t have the answers to. They may hold a personal grudge or possibly be jealous of your advancement. How do you cross a bridge like this?
While there is no one answer to this, developing your personal interviewing skills can be a big help. Knowing how to answer tough interview questions and present yourself in a professional manner are keys to crossing this bridge. In some instances you may need to find another bridge altogether.
After you have crossed the bridges and your city of success is coming in to view, it’s time to finish up the loose ends and finish the journey. This is where the field of procrastination poppies can stop you cold in your tracks. These insidious flowers can delay or even prevent you from reaching your destination. Whether it’s missing a phone call or forgetting to send off an application, the little things in life can really hinder your progress. The best way to get through this field is focus. Don’t look off to one side or the other, but keep your focus straight ahead and on the prize.
As you can see from the story above, the journey to success is filled with obstacles. Sometimes the smallest thing can stop you in your tracks. Taking this journey alone can be very daunting and getting to the end can be almost impossible. What you really need on this journey are some friends and mentors to help you along the way. In the Oz story and in real life we all need some help along the path.
Here are four mentors that you can take along with you that may help you overcome the toughest obstacles. You can get them in written form in a book and carry them along in your backpack, or grab the audio versions and listen to them along the way on your iPod.
1. Encouragement: When you are starting out on your journey it’s easy to get discouraged. The best book I’ve found to give you the encouragement to keep going is the classic by Dale Carnegie, entitled How To Win Friends & Influence People. This book will give you a positive outlook on life and give you the tools to work with everyone along the way.
2. Overcoming Fear: Fear comes in many different forms, but the fear of failure can really stop your forward progress. In his book, Failing Forward, John Maxwell will help you get past your inevitable failures and turn them into learning experiences.
3. Negotiation: When you come to a bridge that you just can’t get across, Keith Ferrazzi may be able to help. His book, Never Eat Alone, has many tools for negotiation and building important business relationships. His powerful tips can help you with that next job interview or performance review.
4. Staying Focused: The road to success requires focus. You really need to stay on the path. David Allen can help with his excellent book, Getting Things Done. His simple but profound concepts can help you straighten your path and get to your destination much sooner.
Taking your mentors along on the journey is as easy as a download into your iPod or other portable audio device. You can move ahead on your success journey even while sitting in traffic.
Enjoy the journey!
