Farming Your Goals

I found my muse for this week’s post while sitting in a church pew this past Sunday.  Don’t worry, my post is not religion specific, and I promise not to preach to you as my reader.  As always my aim is to stimulate your thought, but you can be assured that regardless of where you fall on the religious belief spectrum, you will not feel disconnected to this week’s post. 

I was listening to the pastor’s sermon about a parable Jesus told his followers about a farmer planting his seeds.  With great intent I focused on paying attention, but admittedly my thoughts immediately wandered into the application of this parable about half way into it.  Based on the definition of a parable, the purpose is a real world application of a story.  Therefore the guilt I felt for day dreaming was very short lived since I was fulfilling the basic mission of parables.

The story talked about how the farmer tried to plant his seeds among various types of soil without harvesting a successful yield.  There were either crows that ate the seeds, the sun shriveled up the plants due to an arid climate, the soil was too sandy without much nutrients, or there were competing plant species stifling out the plants.  Then finally he planted them in just the right soil with the right nutrients away from predation by any natural elements such as birds or environmental factors and his yield was overwhelmingly abundant. 

While in my distracted contemplation of the story, I considered the farmer’s seeds as the lofty goals we set for ourselves, and the everyday objectives that we try to achieve in our lives.  It isn’t uncommon that many of us set out to achieve our goals and objectives but in doing so, we rely on the wrong resources, the wrong people, or even sometimes we are in the wrong location.  Unreliable people, faulty resources and bad locations serve as examples of environmental factors that can prevent us from achieving what we want to, or as the result in the farmer story, an unsuccessful yield.   

Our goals and objectives have to be rooted in situations where they can grow to become accomplishments.  Through the nourishment of our hard work, the right people, the right resources and location to name a few things, we are similar to the farmer who has to put in effort to water, remove weeds, and fertilize his plants to grow so that his crop can have a high yield. 

The farm of life that is filled with the plants of our goals, and objectives is one that sometimes takes time to grow.  A farmer will tell you that not all years in farming are banner years for crops but farmers do not take those setbacks and quit after one bad year.  Therefore similar to life where we are faced with failures in our goals and objectives we can’t quit either when faced with failures in our attempts to achieve certain goals or objectives.  Sometimes those things were not meant to be, and sometimes we need to just replant them, or in other words restart from a seedling again to create a better and stronger plant. 

A more drastic but sometimes necessary measure is completely moving the farm and starting in a new environment because that soil has been depleted of all supportive nutrients for the plants.  A new beginning in new soil is necessary sometimes.  This can easily be translated into a new job, a new work environment, a different city, or even a certain state where we may need to be in order for our goals and objectives to become more attainable.  Also crucial to this scenario is planting the proper crops or setting appropriate goals and objectives.  Going from a couch to a CEO might not be a direct manageable goal, but starting out with going for a supervisor role, then a middle management position, moving into an upper management role and then working into a CEO role is an example of planting the right seeds at the right times.

Whatever our goals and objectives are, it’s important that we are mindful that we are planting the right seeds in the right soil.  It’s also important that we are nourishing those goals and objectives with the hard work necessary to make them come to fruition.  While paying attention to these factors and removing the weeds, or the roadblocks from our lives holding us back from success, it is only a matter of time before our goals and objectives progress and sprout into attainment.

Going for the Gold

Here in Austin, Texas the city is alive with the buzz of ESPN X Games Austin 2014 kicking off on Wednesday.  The ESPN X Games Austin 2014 crew has been here for a while making plans, and constructing what will be a tour de force of fun, sports and music happening downtown, at Austin 360 Amphitheater and at Circuit of the Americas.    The competition will be undoubtedly fierce in a variety of events for gold medals.   

You see, whether you’re a fan of an event that will be here, whether you’ve never seen any of the events before, or even if you don’t care about the X Games Austin 2014, we all are a part of our own process in going for gold medals in our lives just like the athletes competing.  That’s what I want to talk about this week is 3 major components of going for the gold in our own lives.

So far I’ve already had the privilege of talking with Chase Hawk (BMX), and Jay Reichert (Stadium SUPER Trucks), two of the athletes participating in this year’s games and the common thread between them and you and I is that the pursuit of professional and personal goals is a long committed process.  Both athletes talked about how they got started and stayed committed to their sport, practicing and participating in competitions for a long time.  As you pursue your own personal or professional goals it too can be a long arduous process that has its trials and tribulations.  Getting a raise might be followed up the next year by getting overlooked for one.  Maybe you’re saving up to launch your own business but the financial woes you face keep putting it on hold.  It could even be a situation where you keep just adding on voluntary tasks to strengthen your resume to be ready for when you find your dream job so that you can be qualified to apply.  Much like the athletes I spoke to who are successful at reaching and participating on a grand stage, you too will eventually succeed, and land that consistent raise, launch that business, and secure that dream job so that you are in that position to get your own gold medal in life. 

The work ethic however must be driven by passion a second necessary component to achieving gold.  We must have an intrinsic motivation and love of the pursuit process of our goals.  While talking to Jay Reichert, it was obvious that he absolutely loved driving Stadium SUPER Trucks.  After only one question he lit up as he talked about what it was like in the driver seat of his truck during a race, and had story after story of other races, practice runs, wrecks, and even what it was like to analyze the truck’s performance in trials.  That’s the type of passion we must have to transform our dreams into reality.  There has to be a passion about how we talk about our goals, and the work that we are doing to achieve them.  The intrinsic motivation and joy that we feel, should be palpable to anyone who asks, or observes us as we pursue our hopes and dreams.

Throughout the process of chasing our own gold medals, it is imperative to continuously set and aim for new goals.  We need to be battle tested as we move forward and test ourselves with various opportunities that come up.  This part of the pursuit process helps us to prepare for our shining moment.  This could be taking on a project that utilizes our skills, maybe taking an extra class, getting involved in an association outside of work, or anything else that will enhance our skill development and prepare us for our end goal.  These are all a part of the proverbial ‘corporate ladder’, because a ladder exists in all processes of pursuing a dream.  Each rung is further progression to the top of your game.  Much like these X Games Austin 2014 athletes are involved in circuit competitions around the United States, and some around the world which serve as their rungs of the ladder while they pursue a gold medal.

As we work at achieving our own gold medals through hard work, determination and success it’s important that we remember that it’s a process, we must maintain our passions, and be constantly ready to be tested along the way.   Sometimes we will get a few silver and bronzes along the way, but that gold is waiting and it’s achievable.  It will happen.

 

 

Don't Quit

This past Thanksgiving Weekend was filled with some of the most exciting endings to college and NFL football games.  The most memorable was the end of the Auburn versus Alabama game, which has saturated almost every news and media outlet for the past few days.  I bring up this college football game not to exhaust an already fatigued sports news story, but because it serves as a classic example of why we should never give up, even if it seems like the game is over.

If you haven’t seen it, the Auburn win came on a last second, long range field goal attempt by Alabama, with both teams tied and braced for the possibility of going into overtime.  Auburn put one person in the end zone to catch the field goal if Alabama missed it short.  It was a heads up ‘let’s be prepared for any type of situation’ play calling mentality that gave them the win.  This attitude that the game isn’t over until the clock says zero is the mindset that we need to carry with us every day.  In life your game might be a job hunt, starting a business, or another circumstance you face where not continuing to try means the difference between quitting and success.

All too often many of us get caught up in convincing ourselves that our circumstances are too monumental to overcome and we give up.  We might have been trying so hard, for so long at something, that frustration has set in from a lack of the results that we expect.  Just when it seems like we are at the end of our journey some of us choose to quit.  Not quitting at that instant in time makes successful people successful.  Just when successful people start to think their ‘game’ is over or feel frustration start to set in, instead of quitting, they push a harder to keep on going until they reach their goal.

Before Auburn won they were down two touchdowns to the number one team in the nation but they didn’t give up and neither should you.  Auburn put someone in the end zone in preparation for something good that might happen to help them win.  They took a chance even though the odds were stacked against them, and that’s what we should do with every opportunity.  We need to be ready to go, ready to take a chance, ready to finish strong and play hard through every last second regardless of the odds we face.  Had Auburn not been ready for opportunity to come their way in the form of a short missed field goal, that game probably wouldn’t be in the history books for the way it ended, and Auburn might not be in the SEC championship game. 

You too have to be ready for opportunity to strike in whatever form it may come to you, just like Auburn was.  Don’t give up and say I’ll get it next time.  Had Auburn adopted that thought process, they could have lost in overtime.  Fight until the very last second, and be prepared to put in extra effort just when it seems like it’s all over, because an opportunity might come your way.  When opportunity knocks, you need to make sure you’re ready with a welcome mat ready to let it come into your life.

Over the years I’ve shared a poem titled “Don’t Quit” written by an anonymous author with those I have supervised.  I would share it with them as motivation to keep working hard no matter what.  It’s my favorite poem to read for inspiration, and the last stanza which I have pasted below summarizes what I’m getting at with this week’s blog.
(You can Google “Don’t Quit poem” for the full version)

"Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit."

You Are Your Own C.E.O.

I recently attended my first job fair as someone seeking employment.  I have been on the other side of the table recruiting on a few occasions representing a university but this was a completely new endeavor.  I left with a lot of thoughts on the experience and feeling like I was selling myself to recruiters the whole time.  I was representing myself as if I was a product they should buy and invest in.  I know that this is exactly what you are supposed to do at job fairs, but it caused me to explore this topic of being the C.E.O. of yourself and how if you see yourself as a business, it can be a guide for success.

Board of Directors – The majority of businesses have a board of directors.  If you are to be successful you need to have your own personal board of directors.  I’ve had mentors use this metaphor so I don’t know where it originated from, but it’s very pertinent as you strive for success.  A board of directors are typically a handful of people who have expertise in a wide variety of areas and they collectively move the business forward.  This is what you need for your own success.  Select a core group of mentors and people that you trust to be your personal board of directors.  They don’t all have to convene around a table or know each other, but most importantly they have to know you really well.  Make sure that they are interested in seeing you be successful as they role model success.  The people on your board should not only be willing to celebrate your triumphs, but be willing to give you the constructive, and sometimes hard-to-hear feedback that it takes to make you a better person.  Your board, like many businesses can change over time through adding and subtracting depending on your life situations and how effective they are for you.  Most importantly your board needs to consist of reliable people you trust to consult with, not just people who will tell you what you want to hear.

Advertising and Promotion – This is important to any business because it’s how the business, or in this case you, are represented to the public.  You need to think about your public image and what people say about you when you’re not around.  Do not confuse this with being inauthentic and catering or altering your personality to people.  Consider this your brand.  Is what you represent, and are you perceived the way you want to be perceived?  If you’re not representing yourself the way you would like to, explore the reasons why, and what you can do to change your brand to what you want it to be.  This certainly includes your online presence with social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc.  A good place to start figuring this out, is by asking your board of directors, which is why it is important that they not only know you, but that they are willing to be completely honest with you, and help you.

Manufacturing – At first glance you might have assumed I was talking about having kids.  Not so fast, that’s not what this is about, that’s up to you.  This is about what you are manufacturing on a regular basis in terms of your deeds.  Are you putting all of your effort into the things you say and do and cultivating your work ethic so that your product can be reliable?  It’s important that what you produce whether it be in your personal life or your work life is of a high quality in nature.  You should be proud of what you do and feel confident that you would want your name associated with what you do whether it’s volunteering somewhere, finishing a report at work or planning a birthday party for a friend, etc.  Give it your all, and have pride in what you’ve accomplished.

Accounting – This is you budgeting for yourself.  In order to be successful it’s important that you are not living at your means but living within it, and saving for the future.  Every good business has a budget plan that includes a rainy day fund, and a slush fund.  As a C.E.O. for yourself it’s important that you’re saving and creating a manageable budget for yourself so that you can be successful in the future, and that unpredicted expenses or that special thing you want to treat yourself with can be taken care of when necessary.

I could break down more business departments and give you more details and examples within those mentioned here.  However I believe you get the idea and hopefully you can begin applying such a model to your own life.  This model of thinking of different parts of your personality and what you do is a holistic model approach that encompasses not only being successful in your professional life but in your personal life as well.  I placed the Board of Directors first because I believe it is extremely important that your support network is in place and ready to support you throughout your endeavors.  You can be successful, you just need to put in the time and effort to develop yourself.  Success does not come overnight for any business and it won’t come overnight for you.  But it is attainable when you put the work in to develop the multitude of facets that make up who you are.