The Road to Progess: 9 Steps to Avoid Becoming Road Kill.
I’m all for progress, it’s change I’m opposed to. Mark Twain
Most people aspire to travelling on the road to progress; to achieve more, do better and reach their goals.
Yet many are unable to achieve their wishes, frequently not because of any technical or financial deficiency, or for that matter any other external short-comings.
Often the natural instinct is to blame someone or something else; to point a finger at some alleged cause to excuse or exonerate ourselves from any responsibility.
Yet often the problems lie within ourselves; sometimes buried deep and hidden from view.
That being the case, the real constraining factor(s) may be close at hand, right under our nose so to speak; making them right within our reach, awaiting acknowledgment and management.
Were we to take a moment and review the worlds most successful people, we often find that these people started out in life with little to nothing and didn’t get any hand-outs along the way; yet they excelled.
Almost inevitably these people possessed a suite of qualities that would not let them fail; each of which are powerful antidotes for failure, but when combined render their owner almost invincible.
Maintain Perspective
People who progress inevitably have a great sense of perspective. They are able to see beyond the daily problems, and see what is really going on; and how they can turn any given set of circumstances to their advantage. To them, failure is merely a learning experience, and obstacles become an opportunity to set themselves apart from the competition. They maintain perspective.
Always Have a Positive Attitude. Always.
Attitude is often the single most important quality separating winners from losers; people who progress, from those who languish in their self-pity; and the seemingly lucky from the equally seemingly unlucky. A person with a healthy attitude is always looking up to spy opportunities, better outcomes or upside; those with a poor attitude inevitably look down and as a result see only the worst possible outcomes, the risks, the downside. They are truly half glass full people.
Be Confident, In Ourselves and Our Purpose
Confidence, to believe in ourselves, our purpose and objectives inevitably resides in people who make progress. Without self-confidence the task will always be too big, the goals too far away, the obstacles too difficult. People who doubt their own ability limit their own potential and by extension deny themselves the future and success that could have been.
Dream Big
Preceding every big leap of progress in history there was a dreamer, someone who dreamt big, who would not accept that it couldn’t be done, who thought why not? Every day, all around us we are compromised by ideas, innovations and improvements that have not happened; progress that was stalled or abandoned because someone stopped dreaming or decided it couldn’t be done. History will record and be kind to those of us who dare to dream big, who throw restraint to the wind and determine that it can be done and declare I will be the one to do it!
Plan to Progress
People who progress plan to do so; they always look forward, not back; they plan to succeed not fail; they take every opportunity to prepare and position themselves so that when opportunity presents itself they are ready, when others are not. People who intend to do well in any field plan their progress; they set out to gain education and experience in their chosen field long before that key opportunity arrives. They spend every thinking moment working on their dream, every working moment seeking achieve it. They plan to progress and never, ever take their eye off their goals.
Persist in Spite Of It All
Progress means moving forward, reaching out and advancing towards our goals, regardless of how far away they are. Sometimes when our goals are far off, perhaps little more than a dream, it’s easy to become discouraged or despondent. We should never forget that great strides of progress are seldom achieved in a day. Usually success comes to those who endure; who overcome obstacles; who take each day as it comes, dealing with the challenges of the day, one day at a time. Persistence and progress are almost synonymous.
Be Prepared to Change
Tempting though it may be to elevate one of these steps above others, change is no more or less critical than the others; yet change remains the catalyst that releases potential; permitting us to jettison our past and embrace our future; opening doors to opportunities not yet seen, and progress beyond even our dreams–and the dreams of others.
Take Action
Like the components of any toolkit, all of these attributes remain unused, idle and unproductive unless used. Whether it’s our education, experience or energy in question, nothing will eventuate unless it is put to use. Every single step forward, every example of progress in history depended on someone taking action; making use of the abilities and resources at their disposal; doing something. This will doubtless mean exercising courage, taking risks and being prepared to change our priorities.
Start Now
Regardless of where we are, what we are or who we are, the imperative is to start now! OK, so we don’t have some parts of the jigsaw ready to place on the board: work on the ones that we can place now. Start dreaming, thinking, positioning and resourcing ourselves to be ready; ready to pounce when opportunity knocks. An opportunity not taken up is no better than an opportunity that didn’t even come our way. Determine, absolutely, to be ready; ready to move, change and act when opportunity presents itself.
The Good News
Almost anyone can acquire these attributes and travel on the road to progress. No one, absolutely positively no one should ever feel they are excluded from potential progress and success. Will it entail effort: yes; persistence and most probably change: absolutely; yet these are within most people’s grasp. Will it require money, education, friends and networks: all of these are helpful but not essential. What is required, categorically, is our will and determination to succeed.
Author Neil Findlay
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