My son R.J. is a really smart kid, I know all parents say that, but he really is. Yet sometimes, he does things that leave me scratching my head. Three weeks ago, R.J. was in downtown Oklahoma City pulling permits for an upcoming project our construction company, Divirsus is getting ready to start.
Pulling permits isn't normally his job, but he was the only one available and since he was getting ready to start college he could use the cash. Downtown Oklahoma City is only about 30 minutes from the office and pulling permits shouldn't take more than an hour. So after about 2 hours I called R.J. to see how much longer he was going to be and he told me he hadn't even made it to the clerk's office yet!
When I questioned him, he said he was walking around downtown looking for the building. I said "Are you using your phone's GPS?" Long Pause. Then, " I will as soon as I hang up with you."
As I shook my head and wondered how could he have missed such an obvious solution, I realized that that's true of all of us sometimes isn't it? We think we know where we are going, we think we have a clear objective in mind and somehow we end up turning in circles and have no idea where we are, how we got there or how to get out.
What do you do when you face the realization that what you thought you knew, you really didn't?
How do you get on the right path when the wrong one felt right in the moment?
Do you pull out the gps and make adjustments on the fly, or do you keep walking down the path even though you know its the wrong one for you?
In my experience most people keep walking down the wrong path because they haven't sat down in the middle of their life's highway and had an honest conversation with themselves about what they want, who they want to be and how they want to get there.
As I travel all over speaking, I hear people say, "When the kids grow up..." (You might be dead), or "Someday..." (You still might be dead) or " I can't because..." (Again, still dead.)
So, if the only thing you can be sure of is that death is inevitable what are you doing today to make your tomorrow amazing? Or what are you doing today to make your today amazing?
Communicating with yourself in an fearless, honest, take no prisoners approach is the single best gift you can give yourself and the people you care about. It's also the scariest.
If you don't know what you want to be when you grow up, isn't it time you did?
When would NOW be a good time?
Get a mentor, find a mastermind, pick someone more successful than you are and take them to lunch, or dinner, offer to drop them off or pick them up from the airport so you can tap into their brilliance.
Remember, everyone has an agenda, even you.
The ones that love you the most, are the ones that are afraid if you grow away from them you will leave them behind. Get over it.
Give them your attention when they talk, be conscious in your thoughts, brutally honest in your analysis and never take advice from someone who doesn't have to live with consequences.
Feel free to make some public declarations below, hold yourself accountable. What are you going to do today that's going to create the tomorrow you deserve?
Seanlai Cochrane is a communication expert who works with leaders who want to play like a PRO and keep their talent, grow profits, and power by the competition.
Want to hire Seanlai to speak at your next event? Call her at 405-314-8716 fax 405-471.5646,
email: seanlaic@gmail.com
Connect with Seanlai on Linkedin or twitter @seanlaic