Create The Road You Want To Travel

I was talking to my brother recently about one of his career turning points.  

The Choice

He works for a global consultancy and was for a long time focused on being the good soldier and ticking the right boxes to become a partner.  But it seemed that that wasn't really getting him anywhere.  

And then one day he asked himself what he really wanted from his career.  

And he realised that he had a real entrepreneurial streak that wanted to create something new, take more risks and to contribute to something he really cared about.  

So he stopped chasing partnership.  And instead started to make the contribution he really wanted.  

He didn't leave his company.  Instead he expressed that he would like to build their education practice - the part of the business that serviced the education sector.  And bring a new approach and a new level of thought leadership to it.

Taking The Road Less Travelled

In that moment he decided to create the road he wanted to travel.

The reality is that is not the easy way.  You are not just taking the road less traveled. It is like you are in the jungle cutting a path through.

The way to go is not clear. You are creating the path as you go. So you take detours, you fall off a few cliffs (small and big ones), you get a few (a lot of) bruises.

But ultimately you find your own unique way through. And that is exhilarating.

Because in that moment you see that you can really evolve your world. You can truly leave your mark. Ultimately that you are really contributing your own kind of magic.  You see your real impact on the world.

The Three Shifts

So what does it really take to embrace a new more adventurous way of doing work? Here are 3 shifts in thinking...

1. From Certainty to Creativity

First embrace the unknown - be in the adventure, the not knowing of what will happen next.

In some ways it is terrifying. But more importantly it is the utmost experience of creativity.

We get to create our life and our work from a new place.

Not from what has been done before. But carving our own path through. We can create not from our past. But let it become our biggest masterpiece.

For that we need the courage to grab the paints and follow our flow.

2. From Comfort to Self-Value

To do anything interesting, you are going to have to go beyond what you know - and what others around you know.

It might (will) feel uncomfortable. But what is for sure is that you will grow.

And from there will emerge a new level of confidence. Not based on what others think of you. But what you know of you. That comes from the inside.

The kind of growth that comes from taming your own demons. From knowing who you are and stretching to what you are really capable of.

3. From Compliance To Extraordinary

From a young age we are told to avoid failure. So we give up on experimenting with new things.

We limit ourselves to the pre-assigned boxes most people live by. We focus on doing the things that are ‘meant’ to be done - the way they ‘should’ be done.  We get trapped in the ordinary.

I once watched an interview with a self-made billionaire woman - one of her kind. She was asked what was the key to her success. She put it down to this ritual her dad had with her. Every evening at the dinner table he would ask her ‘What have you failed at today?’

So everyday she would have to make sure she had an answer - which meant she would everyday push beyond her own and others' boundaries of what was possible.  As a result what she achieved was extraordinary and inspired others to new possibility.

And so I leave you with this question...what would you do if you were willing to embrace your ability to create something new? To trust in your growth and your true value ? And were willing to experiment and to go for extraordinary?