Career Excitement vs. Learning vs. Execution, Part 1: Business Fitness

I love two wheels, lots of horsepower and the throaty growl of a well-tuned engine. I love good suspension, good tires and a well-paved road. It’s all about experienced decision-making, mental planning and leaning a motorcycle into a curve when the G-force can be felt in your soul, your head and your bones. The visceral adrenaline rush is my preferred drug. Picking the right line and the right speed on a curvy road: What could be better? Selling security solutions that save lives is a close second. Many may have experienced this adrenaline euphoria without the two wheels, perhaps when winning a large deal, getting a much-anticipated promotion, getting great news when starting a family or reaching a career skill-stack goal that took time and effort … with a difficult test, perhaps! Tipping a motorcycle into a curve when you are not sure of the apex radius, ascending or descending, means you must adjust on the fly and in real time with real road and weather conditions or become a hood ornament. Too much? I did say this would be exciting, right? Don’t Become a Hood Ornament in Your Career Now that I have gained your attention, let’s talk about your security career and a few rules of the road on your journey. The first lesson is completely up to you: how to read, adjust, power up, power down, hit the brakes or, like I have done, twist your wrist and go full throttle. When attacking a curve or your career challenge, you will feel exhilarated that you survived or, if necessary, pick yourself up and try again. The key factor in success or failure is … fear. Your antidote? Courage. Grit. Hard work. Get back on the bike or back to your career. You choose. Fear of failure infects so many people that they neglect to dial in more power when needed to thrive, not simply survive. Follow the Rules of the Road Failure, viewed objectively and with the right frame of mind, will always be your greatest teacher and mentor if you can gird your loins and accept it without excuses or blame. The triumph is that you tried, believed and did your best to win. Or did you? Did you hesitate? Did you back off at the last minute? Did you let perceived circumstances change your decision-making when the career handlebars started shaking a bit? The good news? You have gained experience. Don’t waste it when you encounter changing road or career conditions. Don’t hesitate or overthink. Trust your instinct and act quickly. Hopefully, you learned from that experience with a positive mindset, course correction and not negative thinking such as, “Don’t try that again. See what happened!” Scare yourself just a little bit every day to become more confident, competent and trustworthy with your customers. What makes committing to a new, unknown and exciting career road curve possible is self-confidence, concentration and skill. There were a few times when the motorcycle frame was really flexing, the tires were barely on the road and that big question flashed before my eyes: Will you make it? My response? Dial on the gas when you are in doubt. Sounds counterintuitive in survival mode. However, my experience dictates adding power quickly with confidence even when all your senses tell you to brake. You will be pleasantly surprised by the positive results. A motorcycle suspension compresses for traction, the steering stays steady and pure execution will win the day. Honestly, the first time I did this, it scared the wits out of me. The second time, not so much. Did I get a little shaky? Yep! Did it matter? Nope. Why? My forward momentum and renewed confidence carried me and our business toward new opportunities. I can’t forget my partner, Jayne, who would hold on a little tighter in the twists and turns of our business growth. The most valuable lesson we learned together? Stay in the moment of your journey. Motorcycles demand that you pay attention in real time, anticipate the unknown, be proactive in your decision-making and execute those decisions without hesitation. Oh, and don’t look back too often. Eyes forward — always. You can’t ride a motorcycle or drive a business while looking in the rearview mirror! Lesson 1: When you make a decision, never second-guess yourself. Execute it. Win or lose, always learn from it. Experience matters! Until Part 2, remember the No. 1 motorcycle rule: Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down! The post Career Excitement vs. Learning vs. Execution, Part 1: Business Fitness appeared first on Security Sales & Integration.