What’s your next move? We all think we have one. But execution determines our move’s fruition. Many of us never actually get to that part. Others find their move was in the wrong direction, or, even worse, created another obstacle in the long road.
Be smart in your steps. And, most of all, take them. Because how will you ever really know if you don’t? Some people might argue taking any step is better than taking none at all. There is merit in such. But a better route is to think out your moves before you make them.
This will save you time in the long run and allow you to truly think about where you want to be and how to get there. There are small steps and big ones. Big steps don’t often come in one large swoop. They take time. So, plan your small steps around them as the larger goals.
Your smaller, less impacting moves will be what create your big time moves. They pave the way and create the opportunity. But never treat any move as though it doesn’t matter. Every move is important. Every move has the potential to be a significant step in your journey. You never know what paths it will open up.
Nevertheless, smaller steps are great because even if you diverge from or make a backlash for your journey, due to a small move you make, you’re able to brush it off, learn and move on. Big moves are the ones that can be dangerous, even bringing everything to pieces. But, again, it’s the small moves that add up to the big ones more often than not. If you continue to make poor small steps, well, guess what??? Yep, eventually their gonna add up to major bummers. You can only recover so many times…not good for the pocket book, heart or mind.
So, think about your moves. Be strategic. Every project you work on means something. Ask yourself, “how can my long term career goals benefit from this project?” “Is it worth working pro-bono or for lesser money because of the people I’ll meet, the opportunities it will create?” “Will it lead me in the direction of the work and types of projects I want to do?”
There are many questions to ask. But you must ask them. Weigh your pros with the cons. Not every move will be to your liking. Not every move will be a step forward. But if you continually push in the right direction, sacrificing for the greater good of your long term goals, you’ll be much better off. Otherwise you can end up somewhere you never wanted to be in, or, nowhere at all.
Just know when to make your moves, meaning constantly. You should always be looking to progress. But it’s important to sit back, gauge, think and plan also so your moves are, again, well thought out. The time you take to reflect and plan will save you trouble and time in the long run.
It’s easy to grab and go when situations present themselves. But every gig, every opportunity, isn’t going to be beneficial. Many will do more harm than good. So, ask questions. Use your instincts. Learn how to tell a stud from a dud.
The duds can really hurt you, especially big ones that you throw all your apples in the basket for. Realize everyone is always going to talk up their project. Many are sincere, just unrealistic. Others on point, but things just go sour. And still others are just users and abusers that know exactly what they’re doing and don’t care about you at all, only their project and, most of all, themselves.
Trust yourself and your experience to be able to separate yourself from the duds. You’re bound to come across a few….okay, more than a few. Just learn from them and be careful. They’re not always totally bad. They can lead to good things. Just don’t get in the habit of doing them for the heck of it, opening yourself up for major consequences.
And, remember, don’t judge too harshly and remain open-minded when it comes to creative projects. Everyone makes mistakes, many with the best intentions, especially creatives. Passion can go a long way. It just doesn’t pay your bills or help your career moves!
So, just because a project turns out to be a dud doesn’t necessarily mean the people on that project are total duds themselves. If they have any sort of brain they’ll learn from their failures. They might end up being great people to work with again in the future if they stick with it. Many won’t after failure though. This is what weeds out the trues from the boos, the diligent and determined from the quitters and one-timers. You likely will never deal with many “duds” again.
But there will be those “duds” that come at you again, promising grander horizons with their next “big project”. Be open-minded enough to gauge that person’s ability to make it happen and the cause of their previous failure. Are they worth another shot, another step of your career? Do you believe he or she can actually make it happen? Did he or she impress you in any way before? Are his or her skills legitimate? Were they good to you before? Did you have any positives come from your previous project with him or her? Whatever you do, don’t be fooled twice. Uh, uh.
Most people mean well. But “meaning well” can leave a sour taste in a lot of peoples’ mouths. Many won’t ever want to give “meaning well” another chance again. Think with your own mind. You could be passing up another dud, or, an actual gem that just needed some fine polishing.
And, again, there will be those that won’t care how the project affected you and others on the project, only being concerned with themselves. These types tend to be the best talkers and very persuasive. As you make your steps, be cautious and intelligent with your choices of the people you surround yourself with on jobs. You’re only hurting yourself if not.
Most importantly of all, make your moves! Again, you never know if you don’t do it. But having a plan and sticking to it by making smart decisions will help in making “it” happen. Nothing’s worse than sitting by and watching it all pass. So go for it!
If you’re just starting out, do whatever you can to get experience and network. This way you can begin to see in what direction you want to go and what type of people and environments you should be associating yourself with. As you gain more experience, choose more wisely. Know when to hold back and not sell yourself short. It’s the decisions we make that rule our fate.
When and if the big opportunity comes, go for it. It might come by chance. More than likely it will take hard work with many small steps leading to it. No matter how it comes about, it will be your planning and execution that gets you to it. Don’t depend on luck, blind moves and, worst of all, believing it will come to you.
– OneMan
