Impact of Leadership

Nothing is Wasted

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Embrace the Winding Road

 

It would be great if a career path was a straight line. It would be wonderful if we signed up for a particular profession as a child, gained the knowledge that we needed to be successful, went on to do the thing we had anticipated, and retired happy and fulfilled, knowing that the work we did made a difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

 

As I type those sentences, I chuckle. That’s utterly preposterous and completely non-existent. However, we still sometimes think that this is the way that our career should go.

 

Instead, and much to our chagrin, the path is full of twists and turns and double backs and exits and re-entries and then U-turns and finally…probably…definitely—a destination, although, that destination is rarely what we thought it would be.

 

We go through failure, discouragement, downsizing, career shifts, unexpected closed doors, moving, illness, mergers, roadblocks, co-workers or employees quitting, being fired by clients and so on. Quite a windy road, indeed.

 

Could this be what it really looks like? Is this the road to success?

 

It is. It’s not glamorous or easy or straight or even that fun sometimes. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you’re the only one required to take a hard road or that someone else has figured out a magically easy path. We all face adversity, mistakes, surprises and setbacks.

 

Nothing, however, is wasted.

 

The challenges, changes or surprises are a part of the journey. They are necessary for getting us to our destination, for our success.

 

Let me tell you about my friend Joseph. We go way back. Back to Genesis.

 

Joseph became one of the greatest rulers in the largest kingdom on earth, Egypt. His path, however, was anything but straight. When he was young, his brothers became angry with him and sold him as a slave. He remained a slave for years before he ended up in jail, accused of a crime he did not commit. There he sat for a very long time. Instead of despairing, he continued to believe in a great big God, despite all his less-than-optimal circumstances. God did not forget about Joseph. God gave him the ability to interpret dreams, as a result of that ability, he was removed from prison and appointed as a ruler over the land.

 

Had Joseph given up and wallowed in despair, he would’ve missed the result. He would’ve missed the part where he becomes incredibly successful, saves the land from a devastating famine and even stands tall while the brothers who sold him into slavery bow down at his feet.

 

God uses everything. That story ends with one of my favorite verses in the Bible, “what the devil meant for evil, God used for good.”

 

Nothing is wasted.

 

Whether the double-back in your life is orchestrated by God or a result of some kind of misstep or confusion, you can trust that it will be used. It’s a part of the plan. Keep going.

 

Here are three things to remember when the road looks windy, and it seems like a better idea to just sit down and pick daisies instead:

 

You are where you are supposed to be:

This is what your path looks like. Don’t waste time and energy fretting over the past or mistakes you think you have made. Don’t wallow in regrets. Whatever you have done and whatever you will do will add to your story and be a part of getting you where you need to go. You might even choose to enjoy each twist and turn, enjoy the learning, enjoy the process. Trust that you will get to your destination even if it doesn’t necessarily look how you expected it to. Trust that nothing is wasted.

 

You don’t have to go it alone:

Ask for help. Seek those who may be going through similar circumstances. Get a coach, go to conferences, listen to podcasts and read books. If you assume that you should already know what you are doing and how to get where you want to go, if you assume you should go it alone, you may end up more bogged down than necessary. IOL is here for this particular reason, to encourage you to carry on when things feel hard, and to remind you that there are other leaders who feel the same.
 

Success is not chance, it’s choice:

Your narrative is important. You can either choose to think positively or negatively. You can berate yourself at every turn for not being where you think you should be in your career, or you can congratulate yourself on what you accomplish. Set a goal each day that is attainable and pat yourself on the back when you complete it. Don’t let others’ successes or what you see around you dictate where you should be. If you continue to meet small goals each day, you will find more joy in what you are doing. Little by little that windy road will lead you to that throne.

 

Consider listening to Tamarra Coleman, on the IOL podcast #155: Action is the Foundational Key to all Success. She shares about her winding career path. As a leader of a large non-profit, she remarks on how her 25-year stint in the for-profit sector was a necessary part of becoming who she is today in a job that she loves.

 

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Blog Written By Ashley Buenger

 

 

 

 

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