Winning Tomorrow, Today: A Guide to Readiness
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Setting the Stage for Success
Often, we hear complaints about promotions or project assignments, with claims that certain individuals simply got lucky. While hard work is indeed crucial, it's important to recognize that there are additional skills and mindsets that contribute to success.
Here are some essential attitudes and behaviors that pave the way for achievement.
Defining Your Objectives
To win tomorrow, you must first clarify your objectives. This has been a significant challenge for me in my career. With the vast array of opportunities available, selecting a single path can feel overwhelming. However, the reality is clear: setting a specific goal is vital.
Your goal should adhere to the SMART criteria: it must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.
Understanding Achievability
Achievability doesn't imply that your goal must be reached within a few months. Consider Jeff Bezos, who initiated Amazon’s space program back in 2000—a time when such endeavors were not mainstream. His long-term vision led to the establishment of AWS (Amazon Web Services) when it was still an uncharted territory.
Your ambition might be something entirely new or something that others may not recognize as necessary yet. The key is to choose a goal that ignites your passion.
Discovering Your Passion
Identifying your passion can be a daunting task, especially if what excites you doesn’t neatly fit within conventional categories.
This situation presents both opportunities and challenges. If you struggle to pinpoint your passion, it may indicate that you are exploring a niche interest understood by only a few—your own "blue ocean." Conversely, this rarity means you must put in the effort to clearly define what excites you.
A helpful way to approach this is to ask: What truly excites me?
Taking Action
Patience is admirable, yet there comes a time when one must seize the day. As Laurell K. Hamilton puts it, sometimes you have to take life by the reins.
I have pondered my passions extensively. For a long time, I believed programming and IoT were my true interests. However, despite enrolling in numerous courses on platforms like Udemy and LinkedIn Learning, I often found myself unable to complete them.
Recently, I found that sustainability is highly relevant to my work, although it isn’t directly tied to my daily responsibilities. To explore this further, I subscribed to sustainability-related newsletters. Knowledge is empowering, and learning more about a subject is a crucial first step.
This exploration revealed that sustainability technology did not capture my interest as I had hoped, but that realization was valuable—it helped narrow my options.
Thus, I encourage you to take that step. Don't just dream about your ideal career; actively explore it. You need not abandon your current job to do so. Start small—engage in activities that relate to your interests, and see where they lead.
Integrating It Into Your Life
To win tomorrow, start today by incorporating your goals into your daily routine. This could involve reading relevant articles or attending seminars related to your interests. Gradually, you will prepare yourself for success.
Remember, winning tomorrow begins with the actions you take today.
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