I have a really big pet peeve. I try not to let it get me, but it does, and it just happened here. My husband was singing along to a song when the lyrics went from English to Spanish. He continued on without pause even though he could not keep up with the beat to pronounce these words (probably because he also didn’t understand them). So, the same as many of us do when we don’t know lyrics, he stumbled through, but, to me, the stumbling is more amplified in another language. I tried not to react, but he still noticed my wince and proudly responded, “But I sound so great in my head!”
We got a great kick out of the moment, but it didn’t escape me how important it is to picture our own success. This starts very young in all of us. I, for one, practiced my Olympic gold medal floor exercise routines in the shallow end of a pool (until I needed to do an aerial move and moved to the deep end). I won the gold every time. I’m certain among you there are previous, equally prominent Hall of Fame recipients, Oscar winners and rock stars.
Remember the power we felt over our own destiny? Remember how that felt?!
For most of us, life takes us a different direction away from fame and fanfare. But, stop and think about how many times we not only imagine our own achievements but are also required to think forward, think positive, and think great!
- It starts early in our compulsory education with the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We’re asked to dream without limits!
- By the time we enter high school, the dream to be an MVP in the majors is likely replaced with something better suited for our more realistic skill set. It is here we are asked, “What do you want to do when you graduate? How are you going to get there?” We start to realize our dreams don’t just happen; there’s work to be done!
- So, we take the next step with further education or training where we are still asked, “What do you want to do when you complete this program?” And, then we are instructed, “Here are the required steps to get there.” The dream becomes a practical goal with an actionable timeline.
- The question doesn’t cease just because we earned a degree or other certification (you know, those very documents we once thought were self-explanatory about our intentions and our abilities). How many times have you responded to the following interview question: “Where do you want to be in five years?”
Of course, the line of questioning does not end once you land your job. You find yourself perpetually working through the mental gymnastics of balancing big-picture ideas (dreams that need goals and real action to achieve) with the immediate, measurable demands (steps to reach the goals that help realize the bigger picture).
When looking for a new job, whether it’s our first or we have a long career history, we must continue to both visualize success and put into practice specific steps to achieve our goals. The idea of looking too far off in the future is mentally taxing when we’re concerned (or stressed) about the here and now, but regularly spending a few minutes visualizing a successful end goal as an adult can be as mentally invigorating as it was when we were young and didn’t understand limits or restraints.
So, while my husband will never be an accomplished crooner, Latin or otherwise, it is that basic, positive attitude toward his real capabilities that drives his career efforts and successes (can you imagine a research scientist with no ability or desire to dream or visualize?).
We’ve been groomed all of our lives to look forward and think big. Are you still doing so? What vision is the target around which you design your efforts? Tell us about it here, or head over to our Facebook page and let us know!
Nancy Stoker is a Senior Client Services Representative and Research Associate with ExecSearches.com. She can be reached at nancys@execsearches.com.
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Last updated on September 18th, 2012 at 05:12 pm
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