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Before
you Can even Begin to Begin, Find the Right Widget
by Pauline Edward
Originally
appeared in the May 2008 Issue of Success Matters
There
are some people (lucky people- you might grumble with
a twinge of envy), who are naturally more readily in
touch with their true life purpose than the rest of
us. You know the type: they know what they want, they
can't be talked out of doing anything else, and they
aren't afraid to do it, even if it seems as though they
are going against the more popular trends, breaking
all the rules of business and marketing or going to
have to do it alone. Many of those who stick to it and
don't quit, are often the ones who end up creating new
trends. Who would have thought! People say when all
of a sudden a new idea appears to take off with rocket
speed (Microsoft, Cuisinart, Chicken Soup books, Amazon,
just to name a few. I'm sure you can come up with plenty
of good examples.)
Seeing
the success of these new trends, eager for success of
their own, many ambitious souls jump on the bandwagon
and try to grab a piece of the pie, often with another
idea, better than the first… looking to make a
better widget. But, how can you improve on something
like Heinz Ketchup? Very few of these latecomers actually
make it as big as the original trend makers. Part of
the reason for this lack of success is that the trend
has served its time. It no longer is a "great new
idea." Once a new product is out there, it no longer
is a great new idea. Newness fades.
The
other part of the reason is that these people generally
lack the inspiration and passion that motivated the
initial creator of the trend or product. They are clearly
passionate about making lots of money, but they are
not necessarily as passionate about ketchup!
I
meet a lot of people who are trying desperately to come
up with the next "great idea," with the hope
of delivering the next million-dollar phenomenon. They
study market trends, they emulate the behaviour of successful
individuals, they amass vast quantities of information
about all sorts of potential business "opportunities."
Their focus is almost entirely on what is outside, on
what is out there in the world. In effect, their focus
is in the wrong direction.
In
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
recommends that you "Begin with the End in Mind."
However, before you can even begin to begin,
you must have at least a general idea of what it is
that you want to begin. You can take your chances at
being a copycat, try to make a better ketchup and hope
for adequate success, or you can dig deep within yourself
and identify what it is that is unique about you. This
usually requires that you first of all be honest with
yourself.
This
begs a minor issue: Perhaps it's not given to everyone
to produce a multi-million dollar widget in his or her
lifetime. Perhaps you are meant for a simple, quiet
life, with little complication, simply being kind to
those who cross your path. Now, that would be
an interesting new trend!
First
of all, if your goal is to achieve success in a specific
field, you need to be prepared to work very hard and
very long for it. So it might as well be something you
enjoy doing. As a matter of fact, it better be something
about which you are very passionate. The most successful
people have always followed their inner urge, their
passion, and their heart's desire. If you want to be
successful at something, you need to like what you are
doing.
So,
before you begin, you need to take a long look inside.
Sometimes, this requires that you return to your childhood;
look for some of your patterns of behaviour. How did
you like to spend your leisure time? What drove you
to get up early in the morning? What kept you up late
at night? I know, you could respond to these questions
with a lot of silly answers, but that would be an indicator
of how serious you are about finding your true passion,
would it not?
From
what I have seen in hundreds (probably thousands) of
charts, there are usually indicators, hints, sometimes
symbolic, of a person's true purpose found deeply buried
in their childhood dreams. Only you know what it is.
It's probably that little secret you didn't dare tell
anyone for fear of being ridiculed. Once you find your
inner passion, then you can begin to make a plan. If
you have the passion, you will have less difficulty
overcoming the obstacles that will arise along the way,
and trust me, obstacles will arise.Your
inner passion may not have anything to do with current
trends. It may actually be against the current trend.
Nonetheless, it remains your best bet for personal success.
Following
your heart's desire takes a lot of courage, and a lot
of faith. Doing what other people have done, no matter
how successful they have become, may not be your answer.
One final note: sometimes it's best to keep your ideas
about your inner passion and your goals to yourself;
at least until you are certain that this is the direction
which you plan on pursuing. Again, this takes a lot
of faith in oneself. Once you have this gift, then anything
is possible. Go for it!
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