Step by Step

"You accomplish victory step by step, not by leaps and bounds." Lyn St. James (1947 - ). American race car driver and second woman in history to race in the Indianapolis 500

If you are like me, everyday you want to hit home runs in your career and your personal life. You want to be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But alas, we are not superhuman. We are just people. People with goals who are walking down a path. Step by step. Occasionally we do great things, but sometimes we slip and fall. Often we turn down a side street only to get lost.

When we make mistakes in our job, this can be a great opportunity to grow. Instead of looking at ourselves as having failed, I think it is much better to look for the way to learn from the event.

Did not win a contract? Ask yourself why? What did the competition have to offer to the prospect that you did not?

Lost a client? What can you do to strengthen your relationships with your other clients?

Missed a deadline? How can you better manage your time?

Conflict with a co-worker? What steps can you take to be part of the solution? .....NOT part of the problem.

Got fired? What can you do in your next job to become invaluable to your employer?

What ever the situation, if you always try to find ways to learn from your mistakes, then you will become much better (and more valuable) in the future. While you can only progress one step at a time, often those around you will not notice (I know it is hard to believe, but not everyone is watching your every move....not even your mistakes). To them it will appear that your many small steps were a giant leap.

Have A Great Day.

Thom Singer
www.thomsinger.com
thom@thomsinger.com