What Got You Here?

Flying back from a training event last week, I spent a good portion of the flight casually flipping through the pages of Sky Mall magazine. (I know... what an adventure, right.) One page immediately caught my attention though. It was an ad that claimed it could help me read twice as many business books in half the time. I thought, this might be just what I need, because there sure are a lot of books I'd like to read. Anyway, as a perused the titles, one popped off the page at me. It read,"What Got You Here Won't Get You There." In fact, that title inspired this post.

Now, I haven't read this book, but the title alone was motivating for me. It really got me thinking. If all that I credit for my present success won't get me where I really want to be, then I need to do something more. Put another way, the ladder of success that enabled me to climb this far, is not the ladder that is going to allow me reach my full potential. So, I guess I gotta get a taller ladder!

Answer this question: To what do you credit your present success?

Well, I conducted a little, informal survey of my own and received a number of responses, many of which were the same: faith, persistence, hard work, education, upbringing, experience, supportive people, etc.

However... you can't move ahead by relying only on the thing(s) that brought you this far -- by doing the same old thing, the same old way. You will either have to do more, apply greater intensity, delve deeper, or relinquish all together and start a new. Whatever it is, what got you here is not what will get you further down the road. Recall the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The servants who multiplied their talents were rewarded, but the one that buried his talent was punished. The wicked servant did not increase his lot or draw any advantage. This passage tells me that Christ expects growth, movement, not idleness. Because, in the end, it's not about us. We're called to help the next person. What are you doing with your talents?

We can't afford to be complacent and self-satisfied with our present accomplishments. It's important to continue growing, learning, and building new relationships -- pushing the walls of our comfort zones and stretching beyond what has gotten us to this point. Every new challenge, new goal, new dream, requires us to accelerate in one area or another and capitalize on the things that brought us to this place.

• So if you credit education for your present success, then continue learning new things and stretch your mental capacity.
• Let's say your experience brought you this far, then seek out new experiences and challenge yourself to take more risks.
• If what got you here is your faith, then develop a deeper relationship with God. Paul says this in Philippians 3:12-14, "I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal... but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead... I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize."
  
• And if it is your passion that propels you, then combine the things you are passionate about into a brand new mission.
• Some credit good parenting for their well-being, and I would challenge them to find a mentor, someone that has already achieved the success they strive to reach.
• If just being in the right place at the right time has paid off, then don't allow fear to keep you from seizing new opportunities that come your way.
• And finally, if the people you associate with have put you in privileged circles, then what are you waiting for? Start building some new networks. You've heard the saying, birds of a feather flock together. If you want to try out some new flight patterns, then you need to fly with different birds.

Do you need a partner, someone that will encourage, challenge, and keep you moving ahead? Yes? Then, as your coach, I can help you chart a new course and reach the next level of your success. Click here to sign up for a FREE tele-coaching session.