It is day 2 here at Tennessee Tech and I am loving every second of it. It is easy adjusting to change if you enjoy what you do. After graduating 2 weeks ago I have been looking back and questioning myself as to why it took me so long to get to this point in my life. I look around and people younger than me are in positions higher than me. Its because I never formulated a plan that I was capable of executing. I always dreamed of the big job however I never had a clue as to how to get there. My resume was filled with odd end jobs with different careers from a Shoney's server to a manhole repair man to a locksmith to a teacher...but the entire time all I wanted was the big paycheck and the big job. Those careers do not strike as either big money or big promotion opportunities therefore I was wasting my precious professional time. The quickest way from point A to point B is obviously a straight line however what if point B is 5 streets away??!! With my professional goals it takes 6 steps to reach point B. I'm currently sitting at step number 2. You may never reach point B (in my case take you 6 years to figure out how to reach point B) unless you are willing to be an adventure traveler.
There are 3 components to being an adventure traveler toward the pursuit of your own professional goals and dreams.
The first component is DESIRE. Are you willing to go in less chartered directions? The desire to do what it takes even if it is traveling across the country to work for free should be instilled in you...if you're serious about getting to point B. This self-discovery will ignite a passion within you and will guide you. Your professional knowledge hopefully enhances your desire to become an engaged and contributing member of a rapidly changing world. Don't be afraid of uncharted territory. Find your passion!
Next is a COMPASS. Your true North is the morals, values, and ethical teachings from your family, peers, institutions, schools, and society. Embrace these! Allow them to help you navigate your way through life. Also realize that your compass at times will need to be recalibrated because of the life lessons and new information you gain along the path of getting to point B. The truths about you and the world will cause for some reflection as to how accurate you are on these values.
The final component is COMMITMENT. This is going to be an ongoing journey and as an adventure traveler you must posses commitment to never give up and to reach your end result. Commitment to stick to the plan, stick to the path, and turn your dreams into an everyday surreal experience. You may have to rely more on the skills and knowledge developed through your education. You may be challenged to gather information, organize it, assess it, and then apply it creatively to your own development as you make your own pathway through this world. But there will be balance as you walk the path to reach point B if you have DESIRE, A COMPASS, and COMMITMENT.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Lantern Mover vs. Road Map Reader
What separates you from the pack? I became motivated to write on this topic after I had a one on one meeting with Chris Massaro MTSU's Athletic Director. The purpose of the meeting was to hear directly from the guy sitting in my desired seat what type of vision I should have if I plan to become an Athletic Director. What is the best approach to moving up in Athletics?
He asked me am I a lantern mover or a road map reader? So this motivated me to write about the differences in the two.
What does it mean to be a lantern mover vs a road map reader. In the old Chicago Fire Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over the lantern that burnt the barn that burnt the neighborhood that burnt half the city. If Mrs. O'Leary was the visionary she would've noticed that the lantern was too close to the cow therefore move it out of harms way. College athletics is typically centered around two ideas: Win Championships, Graduate Students. These two basic ideas have transitioned the institution into a multimillion (in some rare cases, billion dollar industry) meaning it is becoming a business. Every business wants employees that "get it" and understand the mission and vision of the company. In athletics it is to win championships and graduate students. Precise marketing, proper exploitation through SID, development etc are all becoming vital aspects in recruiting the right athletes to achieve this goal. The ability to see beyond the present, being able to see beyond the day, and being able to see beyond the current circumstance allows yourself as an employee freedom and latitude to explore your ideas, initiatives, and creative value to the department. There is no need to micro manage a person who visualizes the next step (three steps ahead) unless you have to illustrate the first three steps initially. As a manager and leader I want someone that comes to work, knows the task at hand, anticipates the next move, and brings ideas to the table. If I have lay out steps A, B, C, D everyday every week then what type of value are you adding to me. This is called being a road map reader. Just like in map quest: exit here turn here wave there...its mirco its meticulous and it hinders the growth because you're not thinking forward. Get prepared, visualize efforts to improve situations and start getting creative. In college athletics the trends have been set now for over 100 years...What can you bring to the table that will separate you from all the rest because at the end of the day we all have a diploma, a ten page paper, and an A on our report card but do we all have campaign initiatives, 14 points of fund-raising philosophy, or even the vision to see the multiple untapped audiences and implement a plan to get them involved.
The moral: Look for ways to impress, improve, and implement. Don't let someone map your plan, visualize what the difference maker is and find a way to attach it to your name.
He asked me am I a lantern mover or a road map reader? So this motivated me to write about the differences in the two.
What does it mean to be a lantern mover vs a road map reader. In the old Chicago Fire Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over the lantern that burnt the barn that burnt the neighborhood that burnt half the city. If Mrs. O'Leary was the visionary she would've noticed that the lantern was too close to the cow therefore move it out of harms way. College athletics is typically centered around two ideas: Win Championships, Graduate Students. These two basic ideas have transitioned the institution into a multimillion (in some rare cases, billion dollar industry) meaning it is becoming a business. Every business wants employees that "get it" and understand the mission and vision of the company. In athletics it is to win championships and graduate students. Precise marketing, proper exploitation through SID, development etc are all becoming vital aspects in recruiting the right athletes to achieve this goal. The ability to see beyond the present, being able to see beyond the day, and being able to see beyond the current circumstance allows yourself as an employee freedom and latitude to explore your ideas, initiatives, and creative value to the department. There is no need to micro manage a person who visualizes the next step (three steps ahead) unless you have to illustrate the first three steps initially. As a manager and leader I want someone that comes to work, knows the task at hand, anticipates the next move, and brings ideas to the table. If I have lay out steps A, B, C, D everyday every week then what type of value are you adding to me. This is called being a road map reader. Just like in map quest: exit here turn here wave there...its mirco its meticulous and it hinders the growth because you're not thinking forward. Get prepared, visualize efforts to improve situations and start getting creative. In college athletics the trends have been set now for over 100 years...What can you bring to the table that will separate you from all the rest because at the end of the day we all have a diploma, a ten page paper, and an A on our report card but do we all have campaign initiatives, 14 points of fund-raising philosophy, or even the vision to see the multiple untapped audiences and implement a plan to get them involved.
The moral: Look for ways to impress, improve, and implement. Don't let someone map your plan, visualize what the difference maker is and find a way to attach it to your name.
THE BEGINNING...Reaching the end result
"There are dreamers and there are realists in this world. You'd think the dreamers would find the dreamers and the realists would find the realists, but more often than not the opposite is true. You see, the dreamers need the realists to keep them from soaring too close to the sun. And the realists, well without the dreamers, they might not ever get off the ground." -Modern Family
"Life is Surreal when reality becomes everything a person has ever dreamed about and and that person is living the lifestyle they had always imagined."-Laura Ann Nicholls
"Life is Surreal when reality becomes everything a person has ever dreamed about and and that person is living the lifestyle they had always imagined."-Laura Ann Nicholls
A DREAMIST is a dreaming realist. All things are possible through vision, work ethic, continuing education, and pursuit. As a dreamist, I have a preconceived mindset of how I picture my life, the steps on the ladder, and my end result. These things drive me and keep me focused. In reality, I am nowhere close to retirement and selling Budweiser's near an exotic beach but in reality my vision is set. Setting goals as a dreamist is far fetched for a realist but in the eyes of a dreamist all goals and ideas can be reached through time, opportunity, and dedication. The difference between a dreamist and a realist is that a dreamist lives in long term thought. A realist lives in short term situational thought. A dreamist believes in substantial change in time where a realist does not see that based on a current situation or circumstance that a drastic change will happen. With my opinion being said, I want to talk about what exactly transitioning from a DREAMIST to a SURREALIST means. When reality is having the disorienting, hallucinatory quality of a dream then life becomes surreal. It is not an overnight transition and in most ladder climber's situations its a 30 year transition but the end result is executing the mapped vision.
I am starting this blog to share my vision and illustrate my transitional steps over the next thirty years in my professional career all the way to the end result. This blog is intended to educate, illustrate, and mentor those who strive to increase their interpersonal and professional development and who are highly active in their own pursuit of transitioning their life into a constant surreal experience.
Preface:
I am a creative thinker. I have a knack for taking advanced scenarios and describing them in relative terms for easy comprehension. I speak Southern Dialect. I invent words. I do not edit or look for grammatical corrections in punctuation. A proper paper/blog is not my mission. I use my book and street smarts to put things in Layman's Terms. It is my passion to mentor and help those who seek guidance into the athletic, scholastic, and professional world. I have a sure passion for personal engagement as I have chosen the career of stewardship.
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