Choices, Chances and Changes
Now that it’s officially fall, I’m remembering my days growing up in Michigan. I would sit on the porch with my grandmother, looking at the big, beautiful tree in her yard, its leaves bursting with color, and talk about the change of seasons. The idea of change stuck with me as I entered my career; I also recall attending a Zig Ziglar seminar and being impressed with his “the three Cs of Life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a choice to take a chance, or your life will never change.”
This quote from Ziglar has always resonated with me and reminds me of the third step of the Faremouth Method: “Step Out of Your Comfort Zone.” I have found that stepping out of my comfort zone is almost part of my DNA. Many of the choices I have made, which include leaving behind a secure job with a Big Three automaker and moving from Allen Park, Michigan, the small town of my close-knit Italian American family, to the much bigger, sprawling H-Town, demonstrates my willingness to walk the talk of that third step. Along these same lines, I had an experience in 2016–2017 that really demonstrated Ziglar’s “three Cs of Life” in the New Work World.
I see many similarities between the marketplace of that time and what we are now experiencing. There was much uncertainty in the job market, and many changes were happening. At the time, I decided to join Toastmasters International, local chapters of which would meet once a week to work on presentation and leadership skills. I thought the support, training and connection with others would be a positive step, allowing me to grow in my personal and professional life and make a positive contribution to others.
The club I joined would soon be celebrating its thirty-fifth anniversary in a big way. I enjoyed learning so many wonderful new skills and soon decided to take on a minor role in the leadership of the group. Six months after I joined, the president, who had been out of work for almost a year, got an offer he couldn’t refuse for a job in another city. We were all very happy for him, but president was a big role to fill, and at the time, no one wanted to step into it.
After a couple of weeks, a long-tenured senior leader I considered a mentor pulled me aside. “Mary Ann, why don’t you step into the role of president? I believe you can do it, and I will help you.”
“Me?” I responded, staring at him. “Are you serious? I’ve only been a member for six months.”
It was a big club with many senior members. I loved all the people in the group and enjoyed the many activities the club offered, but being its president was a role I wasn’t sure I was ready to take on. But my mentor kept telling me how much he believed in me. He believed I had the skills for the role: I was a career coach who mentored and advised others, I always arrived early and stayed late, and I seemed to be well liked by the other people in the club. He felt I could learn what I didn’t know quickly and would keep the group cohesive, which was important. And he made sure to let me know he would help me.
So there I was, a rookie, six-month member of a prestigious group, and I had a big decision to make: Did I take on the role of president or not?
And just like that, I remembered Ziglar’s words: I had to make a choice to take a chance that could change my life.
I decided to go for it, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made! Did I make a few mistakes along the way and deal with a few hiccups? Yes, I did. Did I learn and grow from them? You bet I did. Let’s look at some of the lessons I learned that coincide with Ziglar’s teachings and how they could be powerful in the New Work World.
1. “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
We can give a million reasons why we shouldn’t do something, just as I used my limited experience as an argument against taking on the role of club president. However, if I hadn’t tried, I would have never gained the valuable skills that have served me well in my personal and professional life ever since. What could you start that might be a bit intimidating but could provide you with great training? Is there a Toastmasters, Rotary or other volunteer role you could investigate? If you keep telling yourself no, you will never know what you are really capable of doing!
2. “You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want.”
The role of club president was about helping others expand in their presentation and leadership skills. It was demanding, tense at times and even a bit scary when I had to sit down with a twenty-year member and assist them with a problem. But by taking time and devoting extra effort to help the club thrive, I learned many valuable skills that allowed me to grow in ways I had never imagined would be available to me. Is there someone in your circle you could mentor or an online group you could join where your skills might help others?
3. “Attitude, not aptitude, determines altitude.”
The attitude I held in taking on this high-level role was one of excitement and determination to succeed. I’m sure the senior members of the group could feel my sincere desire to lead the club, and we achieved much together as a group. What might you have a strong passion for or interest in that would allow you to reach great heights in your career or personal life? You are the pilot of your own life. You can take yourself way above any clouds if you navigate your mindset with a strong, positive determination to achieve great heights and help others do the same.
4. “Failure is an event, not a person.”
Don’t let fear of failure dissuade you from taking on a new role, new position, or new industry. Failure is just an event, not the person who experiences it. And we can learn from our failures. From the failures I experienced as club president, I polished my problem-solving skills and learned things about myself. Our comfort zone urges us to stay as we are without any chance of failing. But we never grow if we are held hostage to our comfort zones.
Make the choice to take a chance that could change your life in the New Work World. Step out of your comfort zone and help someone along the way. Investigate groups, associations, online classes and volunteer organizations that could help you grow and, best of all, could let you help others. Align yourself with positive momentum and purpose to change this world for the better!
