In his book Thinking for a change John Maxwell asks the question why some people are more successful than others?
Two Perspectives
He then tells a story of a man with two daughters, the one 21 years old and the other 25. The 21 year old daughter applied to a university to study Pharmacy. On hearing that she was accepted she was elated, but her 25 year old sister bemoaned the fact that her sister needs to go to school for four more years.
Maxwell then concludes that
Successful people think differently than unsuccessful people.
The one sister heard the news and felt excited because she thought about the lucrative, rewarding career about to open up to her. The other sister thought only about the amount of time it would take to achieve it.
Two questions arise:
- How skilled is your thinking?
- Does your thinking help you to achieve?
Henry Ford
I once read about Henry Ford who hired a consultant to do time and motion studies to help increase the effectiveness of his factory. While they walked through the factory they came to a man sitting on a high chair overlooking the whole factory, seemingly doing nothing. Yet Ford’s word to the consultant was to leave that man alone for his job was to think up ways to increase the efficiency of the whole operation.
Ford then mentioned that the man in the chair both generated and saved him more money than any other individual in the company.
We often hear someone say
I’m so busy right now that I do not have time to think about that now.
Are you one of them or do you set aside time to think about the course your life and career has taken?
# Thinking time?
The question that then arises is “how much time are you willing to spend on planning your life?” It is important to evaluate your current situation and then determine where you would like to be. We need to focus on what we would like to achieve. The best outcome for your life will not just come by itself.
Therefore we need to use our imagination to create a picture (a vision) of the end result we would like to achieve. This will give a sense of direction to your life. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, which means you may live an aimless life.
According to James Allen your thoughts determine your destiny and your destiny determines your heritage. You find yourself today where your thoughts brought you.
Tomorrow you will be where your thoughts take you.
Let us therefore take heed of what Paul teaches in Phil 4:8 “… whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
It is so important what we fill our minds with. The wise King Solomon said “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov 23:7) Therefore “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. (Prov 4:23)
If you do not know and understand yourself well, you cannot plan well. A Career Direct Assessment will help you know and understand your authentic self. It makes all the difference.
