The Navigator

Posts Tagged ‘dedication’

So, things have been crazy lately and I haven’t blogged much lately.  I’m feeling a little guilty about it.  It was something I had committed to and yet here we are again – not following through.  My intentions are all good and then life happens and I get off track.  For those who know me, getting off track is pretty easy.  Thoughts and ideas overflow from my head 24/7.

I used to think I wanted to shut it off until someone asked me one day during a healing session if that’s what I really wanted.  It only took a second for me to realize I didn’t.  I LOVE all the ideas that come to me.  I LOVE learning.  I LOVE it all!  I’m so grateful she asked me that or I may have spent the rest of my life trying to shut it off.

So, where am I at today?  Where am I not would probably be a quicker answer but I’ll give you just the highlights and try to keep it short.

Tomorrow I start school.  I can’t wait.  Every couple of hours here at home today I pop my head around the corner and asking my family if they know what tomorrow is.  They say no or Monday and then I say, “It’s a school day!”  Can you tell how excited I am?!  First on my agenda?  Learning all about color theory.  Well, second.  First I tested out of one of my classes because I felt I knew most of what the class would cover.  They said I was the first one to try testing out of this class and pass!  Yeah me!

Many of you know I spent 15 years in parks and rec.  I left in part because I really wanted to be able to offer programs and services that I am passionate about.  Not ones that someone else told me I had to offer.  Now I’m doing that.  The other thing I loved doing for parks and rec was marketing and graphic design.  That’s what I’m going back to school for!  I know I have some skills and I could gain more on the internet or in an occasional class here or there but I really want structure – the most missed component of having a 9 to 5 job.   It’s great to be able to work in my pjs on the couch and to decide when to schedule things and I still crave some structure.

It will also create a network of people who are passionate about the same thing for me.  I have this for the other aspects of who I am but not so much for people who love designing.  I am also really excited to be the student here and connect with other students too!

The theme here?  I saw that I wanted/needed something and I figured out how to make it happen and I did it!

What is it that you want?

What are you willing to do to make it happen?

When you see a roadblock/obstacle, what do you do?  Do you give up or find a way to go around it?

I’d love to hear from you…please leave a comment!

I am as excited to release my first book as I was to release my CD!  The book is available at http://tinyurl.com/BookonAmazon.

This book shares my 2 cents on various attributes I feel are important for success as an entrepreneur.  It was a joy to write and I loved finding just the right photos and quotes to go along with my content.  I hope you’ll check it out!

I was at a workshop on Saturday about being in business in a recession (drove all the way to Faribault for this one…lots of fun…beautiful day….with my good friend).  One of the speakers mentioned this concept of being a hedgehog vs. a fox.  Since I have a hedgehog for a pet, I was especially intrigued by this idea. 

Good to Great’s framework is the “hedgehog concept.” Collins is referring to philosopher Isaiah Berlin’s essay “The Hedgehog and the Fox,” which divides people into foxes, who know many things, and hedgehogs, who know “one big thing.”  In the world of organizations (whether for-profit or not-for-profit), Collins argues that hedgehogs have an advantage because they’re able to simplify the world into a single organizing idea, and hence are more likely to achieve greatness.

I started thinking about his behaviors.  He definitely is a creature of habit.  He sleeps a lot and doesn’t like to be disturbed.  If you wake him, he will be grumpy (cute but grumpy).  He begins to huff and hiss and starts to curl into a ball of quills – his safety mechanism.  If he’s eating, he eats with passion, almost a fury.  If he’s running on his wheel, he won’t stop for anything (nothing at all – do you have a visual?). 

He’s very focused and not much can derail him.  Every night when he’s up, he gets a lot done.  He only does a few things and he does them well and with dedication. 

In my new book, Inspiring Success, I talk about topics like perserverance, focus and dedication and how important they are for finding success in life and in work.  I am a person who likes a lot of change and focus is always a challenge.  I have created tools in my life to help me with this.   For example, I am clear about my vision and what I want.  When new opportunities come along, and they always do, I measure that opportunity with my vision.  I always ask myself how it fits in with my vision, will it get me closer to where I want to be, are there other things I do that this “fits” with.  There are lots of things I can do, but should I?  No.  I’d never get anywhere if I did that. 

Today, I invite you to become a hedgehog if you aren’t already.  Find what you do really well, look at how it all fits together and focus!