Everyone needs to start somewhere.

Since in the last post we spoke about fear, I think this quote is quiet fitting…don’t be scared to take that first step. If you keep moving, there is logically no way you will end up staying in the same place: step after step, you will eventually end up somewhere new and different from where you started. Even if, for whatever reason, you do not reach your desired destination, “what can never be taken away is who you have become in the process of achieving your goal”.

“To achieve your goal, you are going to have to become a bigger person. You are going to have to develop new skills, new attitudes and new capabilities. You are going to have to stretch yourself, and in so doing, you will be stretched forever”.

Isn’t there a saying that goes “The important part is the journey, not the destination”?

I find learning new things to be amazing: a new skill, a new information, a new way of thinking, a new way of doing. As human beings, we are naturally curious, we have this biological need to grow, physically and mentally. If we didn’t, we would not be where we are today. That is why, more often than not, employees leave a company because they do not feel challenged, because they stop learning and they simply cannot stand the plateau that they have reached. And if the company is not ready to invest in giving an opportunity, than the relationship breaks.

I was blessed enough in my career not to have encountered this issue, but I know many that have. Sometimes it is a leadership issue from the management side, and sometimes, we are the ones who do not speak up and ask for what we think we deserve. As I told many of my staff throughout my 20 years career, things don’t fall from the sky. You need to ask for it…what have you got to lose? The maximum you will get is a NO, and at least you have the option to decide if you want to stay and prove them wrong, or leave and find someone else that will believe in you. But never be afraid to speak up, because your manager wasn’t born a manager…he became one. Everyone needs to start somewhere. So did he/she.

In the unfortunate case in which your professional situation doesn’t drive your growth the way you would like it to, but you are still unable to leave for whatever reason, the natural question is: what is next? What can I do to keep myself engaged, “moving” and growing? My personal answer to this would be to pursue your passion and keep moving on a personal level. Find something that interests you, keeps you motivated to learn and grow, and see where it takes you. The reason why I say this, it’s because it happened to me and this blog is the result of it. I was feeling stuck in my professional life, I cannot ( and don’t want to ) leave my job and my career ( because I know there is light at the end of the tunnel ), but I needed something to get me excited, something to work on that would be meaningful to me. I love reading and writing, and I found a way to combine these 2 passions. As a result of this, I also feel better at work, more focused and productive, so it’s a win-win situation for everyone.

No matter what, the same principles that I am talking about in the various post, keep connecting to each other: don’t be afraid, stretch your goals, believe in yourself, and act. No matter what, do not stand still