Turning the long game into overnight success
"Many people are not ready for their lucky break when it comes to them.
Develop your skills.
Study your craft.
Save some money.
Build a network before you need it.
Lay the ground work.
The prepared person is positioned to benefit from unexpected opportunities."
–@JamesClear
I'm an extremely impatient person so I understand well when a client shows up and tells me, "Sarah, I'm at breaking point. I have to get out of this job now."
It can then be a very frustrating game of getting nowhere fast, especially if you throw into that mix wanting either a step up, a change of sector or a change of sector and role. And, all too often, the problem lies not in what the client is doing wrong right now but in what they neglected to do in the past.
Most people leave it too late to start taking action on a job transition, making the job searching process often painful and deflating.
This doesn't have to be you.
Decide today to take action by playing the game of marginal gains. James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, talks about taking consistent, small actions, putting in the reps to build what you'll need for your future self's wants.
Act now and act consistently to put yourself in a position so that you can cash in your chips on your terms.
Think about your network.
When was the last time you took a long hard look who is around you? Would those people help you if you reached out today? If not, then it's time to start connecting more meaningfully with your current network and building out a new one.
What about your skills set and knowledge?
Are you up to date on what's going on in your industry? Are you seen as knowledgeable about your subject area matter? Do you really have the right skills set to get you to the next place? Examine this in detail and be honest with yourself. If you're frustrated about being overlooked for promotion because you assume you're the next in line, be curious as to why you're not getting there and work on what you discover.
Where else can you lay the foundations, building brick by brick, room by room so that your new dream house is ready to move into exactly when you are?