CHANGE COMMIT
GAIN KNOWLEDGE GAIN SKILL EXECUTE PERFORMANCE
It’s the first full business week of the New Year. I have made my resolutions; both personal and professional. So what is going to make this year different from last? ME. It all starts and ends with me. Once we have realized that WE must take accountability for our lives, our personal and professional development and our finances, we can really grow. We no longer play the part of victim of victor!
What does it take to get there? The 5 ingredient recipe I use to grow both personally and professionally is the willingness to:
Change
Commit
Gain Knowledge
Gain Skill
Execute Performance
Change:
If you aren’t willing to do the work to change, you will never grow. Growth and development as it pertains to you personal and professional life is a fancy way to say you have accepted the challenge to change.
Change is challenging. Most people do not like change. It’s uncomfortable and it pushes you out of your comfort zone. Let’s face it, life is easy when you know what to expect and when to expect it. We like to be comfortable…if we didn’t, as a society we would not have embraced the progression of modern conveniences.
Usually, when going through a period of change, your chances of failure skyrocket. Who really enjoys failing? From the beginning of our lives, we are taught not to fail. We take tests and exams with the expectations of not failing due to copious preparation. When we do fail, we are met with disappointment and scored accordingly. A good part of our early lives are spent trying not to fail.
Today, I am telling you that it’s ok to fail and you should embrace it when you do. Why would I tell you to embrace failure? To learn and grow from your failures. Failure is only good unless you learn from it and have the astuteness to turn it into a growth and development experience.
Growth and development only comes when we meet change head on and rely on our inner strengths, knowledge and moxie to get us to the next level.
The best thing about change, growth and development is you are able to embark on the journey any day of the year. It doesn’t have to be January 1. As with anything in life, your change journey will have ups and downs, victories and failures. The victories and the failures are what force us to grow if we have the maturity to look at both the good and the bad and ask ourselves what we can learn from them.
Commit:
Once you have realized change is good, committing yourself to the change and the process involved is essential. The ability to discipline ourselves to follow through and execute our plans regarding change is a major part of the overall metamorphosis experienced. The character traits added to you through the act of commitment sets you apart from the pack.
In today’s world it seem there are so many people who are able to talk the talk but when it comes time for walking the walk, this is where many fall short. Without truly committing to your clients or dedicating yourself to personal relationships you create the disconnect to growth and development, both personally and professionally.
Gain Knowledge:
Our world and the technology within it changes all the time. As many different personalities, businesses and ideas there are in the world, there just as many, if not more ways to accomplish the desired end.
If you are not educating yourself regularly, learning new skills, staying up on technology, marketing ideas, etc. you will most certainly be left in the dust. How do you keep up with it all and at the fast pace that it changes? The Internet. It is your lifeline to all the information you need to stay current. With the Internet as your tool, you can:
- Participate in e-courses
- Go back to school through correspondent programs
- Subscribe to numerous content rich blogs
- Sign up for industry related, newsworthy newsletters
- Join networking groups
- Read online articles found in article banks
- Take part in numerous webinars and tele-seminars
- Educate yourself through e-zines
- Find online mentors
The options are endless, creative and can fit anyone’s schedule or style. The point is, get out there and learn!
Gain Skill:
Although similar to gaining knowledge, gaining skill is important. Keep your eyes and ears open for skills that are emerging in your industry and specialize in them! Let everyone know about your specialized skill and create your own unique niche. Not only does this set you apart from your competitors but it gives you job security.
WARNING: don’t get too comfortable in your new found skill! When you find yourself getting comfy, you know it’s time to add this skill to your toolbox and move on to find another one…keeping you and your business fresh and innovative.
Execute Performance:
In theory the above may make sense and is somewhat of a “duh”. It’s this final step of executing performance that makes all the difference in succeeding, growing, becoming an expert in your field, and adding value to your docket.
- If you fail to perform, you have no way of knowing what level you will propel to next
- If you fail to perform, you short change yourself and give your competition (both professional and personal) the advantage
- If you fail to perform, you will never change, grow and develop
- If you fail to perform, then, why bother with resolutions in the first place
In this case, I believe this is the only instance in which I would not condone failure. Failing to execute or perform deadens your ability to grow and develop. At this point you become the “victim”, and never given the chance to become the victor!
In the words of Shakespeare, “”The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.”
