NicoleFinke.com

One martial arts myth says Thai fighters used to kick banana trees 100 times each day as part of training in order to condition their shins. I’m not sure if this actually happened, but this story and its underlying idea ring true today with clarity of vision.

When it comes to kicking trees, there is no shortcut or easy way out. You either display discipline, putting in the 100 painstaking kicks each day, or you don’t. Likewise, you can’t build that amazing career of your dreams overnight. There are some luck-based success stories out there, but they’re few and far between. Creating and sustaining success takes discipline day in and day out as you work toward your goal. This takes tremendous focus. You have to know what you want because if you don’t have vision what’s the point of kicking that tree every day?

Establish your career vision and go for it, but this is only the start. From there, pick one small thing you can do every day to make progress. It doesn’t have to be the same thing over and over like kicking a tree, but it should be a never-ending advance toward the end result. Whether it’s through reading, networking, blogging, or any other means of career advancement, without fail commit to doing SOMETHING every single day; this is one area in which instant gratification just plain doesn’t happen.

It’s painful at times, and often hard to see progress, but if you remain consistent you’ll get there eventually and soon enough you’ll be kicking bigger and tougher trees.

It’s common knowledge that connecting with people is critical to attaining goals. Connecting within an organization is a key element to leadership success as John C. Maxwell so wisely advises in his “21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” From my experience though, creating the connection without seeing “what’s in it for me” becomes a roadblock for students and professionals alike.

Oddly enough, that mentality is backwards and hinders the relationship-building. It’s easy enough to talk about yourself, but establishing a real connection is a two-way street. Most of us have people we love to be around not only because they’re our friends, but because of their genuine interest. It goes back to what my Dad always told me growing up – people love the sound of their own name – it’s simple to remember and is entirely true. If you’re genuinely interested, ask questions, and maybe even remember their name, they are more likely to be interested in what you have to say. This is the pillar many miss in the concept: Make it a conversation, not a monologue.