Tell me what to do
Scenario: You were just hired because the company loved your expertise. They hired you because you presented as a “go-getter”. They also hired you because of the invaluable experience displayed on your resume. But when you start working, you are paralyzed. Not knowing where to start. Waiting for direction. You don't present as the self-starter that you presented during the interviews.
Since kindergarten, people other than our parents have been telling us what to do. Initially, it was our kindergarten teacher, then our basketball coach, then the bosses at our job, and of course, the government. Now you're an executive in an organization and when faced with something outside of your comfort zone, you state that is not something that you do, or that's not in your job description, or just turn the other way. Just because the organization has always hired an individual for that position or that responsibility does not mean you cannot learn it. Tip: Diversification of skills will benefit you now, at your next job, in your next career, and when you are ready to start that business.
Hindsight paints an interesting picture. Those who are the most successful in this world charted their own path early and didn’t wait for the direction that most of us have been conditioned to be patient about. Sure, outside of work, you are a rebel and you are in charge of yourself. But back at the company, you adhere to guidance. You are a company man (or woman). I'm here to tell you that in 2019 and beyond, it's time to learn how to add as many skills as you can on your own (without having to go back to school to be told how to do it). It's time to build your own website, learn to code, create your own flyers, fix that computer or just make things happen.
You see, there's really no excuse for not figuring out how to do things. We can quickly learn to navigate Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. But if it’s work or some revenue/income-related task, paralysis sets in. We can start with Google, quickly migrate over to YouTube, and then finish up with Lynda.com, Udemy, or Codecademy. The technology and resources that we have available at our fingertips today should not just be first thought of for our entertainment. Instead, we should first think of how it could improve our circumstances. And here’s the secret - no one has to tell you when to start.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, and catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~Mark Twain
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