No More Dreaded Mondays will show you that meaningful work really is within 
your grasp. And once you’ve opened the door and seen all the exciting career opportunities that await you—whether you decide to revolutionize your current job or launch a new career altogether—you’ll find you can’t go back to the old way of working
Your finest hour
Winston Churchill said, ‘To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.”
Don’t expect luck to present you with your finest hour. Remember, luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
What three things are you doing right now to prepare for greater opportunity this year–and perhaps to experience your finest hour? What opportunities might you have overlooked while waiting for the company to take care of you or for perfect conditions to move in a new direction?
The point is this: Don’t wait on perfect conditions for successs to happen; just go ahead and do something.
And don’t settle for failure–how can you turn a setback into an opportunity?
I see many people blame something outside themselves for their current circumstances and lack of accomplishment. They blame their parents, their teachers, their bosses, their coworkers, or their spouses for those unexpected turns in life. But blaming solves nothing. Instead, it creates fear and hopelessness. It destroys creativity and builds walls that keep other people and potential resources out. Perhaps what you see as an obstacle is nature’s gentle way of redirecting you to a more fulfilling future.
[bluebox] Revolutionary insight:
In the first few moments of the movie Collateral, the taxi driver, played by Jamie Foxx tells Tom Cruise’s character: “I’m not in this for the long haul. This is just filling in–I’m putting some things together–I’m going to open my own limo service,” Cruise asks him, ‘How long you been doing this?’ To which the taxi driver replies, ‘Twelve years’.
This is a classic example of how life happens. Here is a step-by-step process to change:
- Clarify your current situation.
- I have been in the same job for twelve years with no change in sight.
- I detest the monotony of my job.
- Seek the advice and opinions of other people. I will ask four or five trusted friends or professionals what they would do if they were in my situation.
- Identify the alternatives.
- I could go back to school and get a degree in education.
- I could create a clear focus and do a job search with a company with some advancement potential.
- I could start my own chauffeuring service.
- I could request a manager’s position with my current company.
- Choose the best alternative. I will start my own chauffeuring service.
- Act. I will create my business plan in the next thirty days, give my two-weeks’ notice fifteen days after that, aggressively plan to purchase my own vehicle by that time, and be open for business sixty days from now.
Whether it’s choosing a new school, a new place to live, a new car, or a retirement center for a parent, you must keep a clear deadline in view. Otherwise, procrastination will lead to indecision.[/bluebox]
Related Reading:
Complement No More Dreaded Mondays with Overcome resistance, do the work.