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I was exposed to a very interesting concept a few days ago while having lunch with one of my employees. You see, this fellow is renowned throughout our company as someone who just flat knows his stuff when it comes to the outdoors and the gear you need to get where you're going and stay alive doing it. This is the guy who has summited Kilamanjaro, who has done the "Into the Wild" thing, and who knows more about GPS units than Ron Jeremy knows about coitus.

I asked Greg, the aforementioned employee, what his goal was in his parenting. He has two daughters, aged 3 and 5, both of whom ski better than I do, can swim, can roller blade and can snowboard. Basically, in two years these children have amassed more physical prowess than the average 30 year old American. Sad for the average or inspiring for the individual, your choice. Anyway, the question was referring to Greg's goal in his parenting of these kids. His explanation was that he wanted his children to understand the concept of mastery. Greg has "mastered" a number of skills and areas of knowledge, "mastering" being the act of becoming so knowledgeable, so versed, so fluent in something that there are few, if any, that can teach you about it.

The idea of this mastery being something that a child can perceive and build their confidence, their world view, their personality around is a very valuable one, and is applicable to each and every one of us, whether we're a 3 year old snow phenom or a 37 year old leader of people. The thing is, we all think back to a time when we were quite good at something. I personally think back to when I was dancing and teaching a great deal. While there were plenty of people in the world that could teach me more about the art, in my immediate world I was the authority on the topic, and it was a fantastic sensation. I'm not talking about the arrogant "king in the castle" sensation of power, but the idea that you have worked to accomplish something and for it you have to show the confidence that you've earned.

The REAL power of this idea is that you don't always have to be a "master" to understand the concept. Having ever mastered something and keeping that feeling, understanding what it means, is the key. You don't have to master all things, but to know that, having mastered at least one thing, you could master any of them is one of the greatest sensations we as people can have.

And, boy, if you can apply this to your professional world you will see an entire new life rolling out in front of you.

I am a workaholic. I know this because Dictionary.com defines the word as follows:

work·a·hol·ic [wurk-uh-haw-lik, -hol-ik] "a person who works compulsively at the expense of other pursuits."

It just so happens that both my blogging and my daily work are two things that I greatly enjoy, but I often make choices that will benefit my professional life while making sacrifices in my personal life. I have suffered the loss of relationships, hair pigment, personal contacts and hobbies. I do not, however, feel bad about this fact. Each day of your life is your whole life, in a manner of speaking. Basically, your whole life is made up of the small things you do each day, and I wouldn't change anything about my past.

"Why is he rambling on about his past and workaholism? Where's my Youtube shortcut button?"

I draw this picture for a reason; To illustrate the fact that over-devotion can sometimes not only destroy that which is sacrificed, but that which is sacrificed for. Today I will be talking about any manager's favorite situation, the Human Resources Intensive Scenario.

"Oh, Lordy, you mean the one I have every other day?"

Yes, that one.

There have been many times that I have become angry with an employee. Not frustrated, not perplexed, but pissed off and ready to say some emotionally very appropriate but professionally very inappropriate things. It's why I'm a good Operations guy and a good executor; The instinct to react quickly and decisively to forces working against your cause. Read that last sentence again, please. The instinct to quickly and decisively to forces working against your cause. Remember this as point A.

Now, an alcoholic's cause is the consumption of alcohol. Thusly, if you were to reach your hand to remove a decisively-acting alcoholic's glass of whiskey from him, he would likely act because the threat you represent is real to his cause. This is where point A works into the definition of workaholism.

"Sweet Zeus' Beard, this article is starting to make sense!"

As a workaholic, my cause and that which I draw a great deal of happiness from is my work and the success of whatever business it is that I'm engaged in at the time. That being said, an employee who acts in a way that is contradictory to the growth and progress of my business is, in a sense, reaching for my glass of whiskey. I've known this about myself for some time, so it's become a habit of mine to take a five-minute break to re-assess any situation in which I could be terminating or disciplining someone. It's very easy to look only at the facts in a scenario and to then act on them, completely forgetting the human element. It's too easy, in fact, and can often land a manager in the same seat of the person he just fired. Nothing in my career has been more valuable than the five minutes I take before making a decision that will affect another person's life, regardless of the severity of the change I'm about to sign off on.

As you go about your business day, think about the bridges you are building. No matter what you're doing, you're establishing connections, even If only one brick at a time. The idea is to build bridges that will last through the fires of life. For instance, if you were to leave your company unexpectedly tomorrow, would your relationship with Phil what's-his-name (strange, men don't usually hyphenate their names when marrying...) in receiving continue? Considering that you talk to Phil once a week and you don't know Phil's last name, it's doubtable. The "fires" would wipe that bridge out and your connection would be gone. Think now, however, of someone who you would keep in touch with after an unexpected leaving of the company.

Is this person someone you look forward to communication with? It's very likely. Is this person someone you communicate with on a routine basis and with whom you feel a bond? Yes. That bond is the bridge I'm talking about. Some people are natural bridge builders, throwing up lasting connections wherever they go and maintaining those bridges in ways that would leave the greatest engineers scratching their heads in awe. The vast majority of us, though, are not innately built for connecting, and could benefit from a few exercises in visualization to prevent us from ending up an island after a fire...

So take a given day when you're not going to be super-ultra busy and imagine each conversation, each contact, each email as a varying amount of structural integrity that you are putting into that bridge. Some people are farther, requiring a much greater expenditure of energy and time to reach stably. However, much like the longest bridges in the world, once they are built they are rock solid and a pleasure to drive across.

The idea of bridge flammability is extremely useful in personal life, but becomes imperative in professional life. The contacts that you are creating today, the bridges you can walk across each day, can be the way you escape disaster. It is widely held that more than 70% of upward mobility is gained through familiarity with those making the decision rather than prowess alone. 70%!!! When the merger comes, the layoffs happen, the natural disaster strikes, the economy tanks, those iron-clad, unbreakable, act-of-God bridges will be the ones you can escape on in order to survive. Then again, there's always the chance that you'll be the one saving a friend, which is often even greater than being saved.

We've all been there.  Dreaming big dreams but never really arriving.  It's common in life to hold tight to the safe bet, the decent job, the satisfactory relationship.  We justify that it's ok and while we can do better, this is good enough.  But deep inside there's something that says if I just could figure out how to get what I want, it could be a hundred times better.

Why Not Settle?
The difficulty with settling is that good enough seldom produces great results.  Think back to the jobs you've held in the past.  You can tell the ones that aren't a fit for you right away because you can't wait to get home and once you get there you never talk about your job, you're always looking forward to the weekend, stressed out, and just wishing your boss would just leave you alone.  Was there really any room for creativity and expression there, the chance to be successful, make great money, impress your friends, be passionate?  Of course not.  In a depressing job all your energy gets channeled into merely enduring your duties, instead of using it to have fun with them and joking with the other folks in the office.

What Is Possible?
What if you woke up inspired to go to work and give it your all?  Stayed longer because there's an interesting puzzle that you wanted to figure out?  Your coworkers loved you and you go home more refreshed than when you arrived.  Working with customers isn't a chore but rather a responsibility you look forward to because you have a product you believe in and can't wait to share it with them.

In a job that you love, this is the way things normally work.  All sorts of things start to work out.  You find yourself sitting around dreaming up new things to try out in your business - ideas and solutions to problems will just show up in your mind.   You consider your coworkers real friends.  Customers become partners and you value the relationship not only for the money they give you but the also the fact that you get to provide them with a valuable service.

What Do You Want?
If you already know what you want, the hard part is over.  Skip ahead to the next paragraph.  If you're undecided, spend a few minutes and consider some of the dreams you've abandoned.  The ones that would put you in the state I mentioned above.  Is it standing at the easel painting portraits for people?  Inventing new gadgets that would make Apple envious?  Working with the United Nations to feed the hungry?  Look and find that thing that seems out of reach but if things would just work out, seems so fantastic.

The Decision
Now decide that you're going to reach your dream.  It may take you a month, a year, maybe a decade.  But decide that nothing is going to stop you and you're going to make it.  So long as you waver, this journey will be fraught with obstacles, difficulties, and self questioning.  The moment you decide to truly pursue it, the path will start to emerge and you can begin the steps that will carry you on towards you destination.

Turning Dreams into Reality
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." - Dale Carnegie

The most important thing you can do is start taking action.  A dream that remains in your head will remain there forever until the moment you start to act.  Beyond just progressing towards your goal, taking action has another more important effect.  You will start to realize that your goal really is attainable.  It stops being this hazy thing that's not very well defined with no real plan, and becomes something you can get your hands on.  You feel like you're actually getting somewhere.  This is a truly remarkable and inspiring change that will give you the confidence continue forward when the going gets rough.

Taking Steps
"What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Start taking action that will carry you towards your goal.  Research what it takes to start a business.  Take a night class that would assist you in the field you want to work in.  Float your idea for a product during conversations and see how people respond.  Talk to friends and see if they know anyone who can assist you.

Educating Yourself
If you need to understand a new area of study, flip through the local yellow pages and call a business and chat with the owner.  Find out what they like about the job, the biggest challenges, how they advertise, the lessons they've learned.  If you're daring enough invite them out to coffee and spend an afternoon absorbing information.  Most entrepreneurs love to talk about their businesses and will welcome the opportunity to share their story with you.  Internet forums can also provide contact with individuals who possess useful information and guide you along the way.  As you do this, you're already start to think like and become the sort of person who you want to be.

Maintaining Stability
Transitioning into a new career may not happen overnight.  Unless you have a good nest egg built up, it may not make sense to drop everything you're doing, leave your significant other, move to Alaska, and live in the garage till the Widget 9000 is ready for production.  There's no need to burn all your bridges at once.  You can maintain your current level of comfort while using it to support you move towards the ultimate destination.

Instead, shift your priorities in a direction that will bring you closer to your goal.  If it's feasible and useful, scale back your hours and spend more time on activities related to your dream job.  During your free time do things that bring you closer to your goal.  Take night classes.  Work part time in some sort of training position that will teach you what you need to know.  If you need money to start a business, start saving more than you did in the past, knowing that the sacrifice you make will be repaid tenfold in the end.

Each step you take will bring you closer to your goal and the life you want to live.  And if you've truly found the right goal you'll have fun as you move towards it.  Best of luck.

"Everyday, do five specific things that will bring you closer to your goal. Don't deliberate; pick five things, and get moving on them. TAKE ACTION." - Jack Canfield, Success Principles

Need more tools for your ninja toolbelt?  The Rule of 5 is one of the useful things you can use to get your goals accomplished.  Watch obstacles fall and success draw nearer and nearer.  The basis of the Rule of 5 is to get five things related to your goal done every day.  Multiplied by 365, that's a whole lot of action.  So much action that it's practically impossible to fail.

The actions you take can be simple, this doesn't need to be a Rude Goldberg machine that takes hours.  If you're looking for a job it can be as simple as sending out filling out five job applications, looking over five job search websites, or letting five friends know that you've reentered the employment pool.  You can mix and match and do something like the following:

1. update your resume
2. read a chapter in a book related to your profession
3. search the local classifieds for jobs
4. browse a personal development website
5. submit an application
   

Why is this one of your top weapons?  As you do this you'll find your morale jumping.  It puts you back in action and you start to see results almost immediately.  If you've stalled, this is the perfect way to get your Ninjamobile started.  Instead of focusing on something negative, you get out of your head and back into the world.  It's hard to complain about your circumstances when you're doing something to make them better.  Imagine asking out five girls or guys out each day for a week.  You'd have to stop after a few days because you wouldn't have enough evenings to date them all.

The other wonderful aspect of the Rule of 5 is that the universe will start responding to you.  By taking action, you're aligning your efforts with your goal and start to attract the resources necessary to complete it.  The universe responds to heartfelt desires, and action signifies that you're serious about what you want.  Whereas you might have been spinning your tires the day before, people magically appear to assist you, problems vanish, and results happen.

For example my goal today was to do five things to improve this website.   First, I researched other people's information about the Rule of 5.  That led me to several blogs that covered not only the Rule of 5, but other topics as well.  Those topics got the creative juices flowing and prompted me to come up with at least two more article ideas as well as several bits of useful information.  I wrote this and two other articles.  And I made a few minor cosmetic changes to the website.  Right now I feel pretty darn good.

You can keep applying the Rule of 5 each day till you achieve your goal.  The more you work at it, the more results you'll get.

I don't like Manager Speak. The modern world is endlessly convoluted with this rapidly growing language comprised of ubiquitous terminology, vexing acronyms and nonsensical vagaries. (i.e. "Bob, can you explain your game plan for sales in Q3?" "Absolutely! We're going to capitalize all opportunities both known and unknown while keeping an eye on the bottom line and maximizing profitability through top-line focus and bottom-line awareness." "Great! ... Wait a minute...")

It's a dangerous thing because the more fluent you become in Manager Speak the more English becomes a second language, nearly crippling the communication process.

The reason that I'm bringing Manager Speak up is to illustrate the importance of perceptions. Take, for instance, the manager who communicates nearly exclusively through Manager Speak. If someone came readily to mind there is an extreme likelihood that this person is not respected as someone that has anything to say. The idea is to avoid being someone who will say anything when they don't have anything to say.

There are many variations on the popular quotation, "Perception is 90% of reality", all of which are probably very valid. There are competing arguments woven throughout various faiths, business models and media ranging from the idea that the entire world is simply the creation of the individual mind to "Nothingness Theories" that preach the concept of nothing actually existing on any level. Whatever belief it may be that you subscribe to, success in one's career hangs heavily upon the hinge of perception.

So, anecdotal rambling aside, what are some things that help cultivate a favorable perception in the eyes of those around us? The single greatest asset in this constant opportunity is the inner character. The concept of living your values and representing something definite is not only the most important idea one can focus on, it is the most difficult one to remain diligent in exercise. Keep this idea in mind, though: No matter who it is that you are, be that person constantly and those around you will quickly learn to respect your presence. If you are wavering and infrequently the same person, those above you and below you will never know where you stand and will therefore not consider you as powerful or respectable as they might have.

Perception is valuable in all aspects of the Career Ninja's practice. An employee that knows where you stand on things will simply not create problems for themselves or you. Your direct command, when knowing who you are, will be much more likely to turn to you in situations of trust and value your opinion much more so than that of the inconstant character.

Simply put, be who you are every single day and you will establish yourself in the eyes of everyone that matters, including (first and absolutely foremost) yourself.

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If you've read a few of these posts you know by now that I like to deal in specifics. Generalities are very safe (just ask political candidates) because you have the laws of averages on your side. The idea behind mixing words and speaking in generalities is to make as many people happy (or, in some cases, as few people angry) with you as humanly possible. Think of someone that you know who bets their happiness and success on what everyone around them thinks. Now let's rename this person "Pat." Is this person a strong individual that you look to for guidance or motivation? Probably not. They are probably so busy making sure that they are liked that they perform poorly in their professional and personal lives.

What does Pat's self of sense look like?

I phrased this title in the way that I did to capitalize on the importance we, as Americans, place on our employers' evaluations of us.  While it is certainly important to maintain a positive position in the eyes of your employer and, often more importantly, your employees, we are basing an increasingly great amount of our self-worth on our worth to our employers. As discussed in the CareerNinja.com article "So Let's Say: You're Getting Fired" part 1, this can be extremely dangerous.

Remember this, Career Ninjitsu pupil: A business is a living, breathing organism.

The senior management of a company are, typically, its brain, which chooses how the organism will move and how (if) it will survive. If the organism decides to change its diet, it won't need the same set of teeth, the same digestive tract, the same tools. Depending upon your level in your company, you may very well be the brain deciding what the organism needs. The odds are, though, that you are an herbivore's flat tooth, or a hunter's rope, or an omnivore's third stomach. This means that, as the business climate changes, which it will, the organism may need to alter itself to adapt and survive. While you may be the best plant grinding tooth in recorded history, if the available botanical population in the area vanishes you will either be sharpened to a canine point or you will be shed in order to adapt more quickly to the change. The same is true of the vanishing of available huntable prey and of the need for a third stomach in drought.

Long story short, you are, to your business, expendable.

Cold? Yes. The concept, however, is a necessarily cold one., and I mention it to illustrate how bad life will get for Pat when the organism that he has happily and successfully contributed to adapts away from needing him and he finds himself discarded. Many of us have experienced this and it can be absolutely life-shattering for an individual who has not reviewed themselves.

What do I mean by "reviewing yourself"? I am talking about personal happiness. Does your job provide you with more than a paycheck? I'm not talking about compensation of any monetary or material type. If you were released of all debt and fiscal responsibility would you continue to do what you are currently doing? If your answer is a "No" or even an overly-hesitant "Yes" then something needs to change and soon.

That's it. Please read on for ideas on how to find what it is that you want to do with your life, but as for this article, please take the abrupt end as a very clear message: Get into something you actually like no matter what it takes. Don't make excuses about financial needs, family constraints, or anything else. You're not too old, you're not too sick, you're not too good at what you do to do something you actually want to do.

So start now and figure out what it is and do it.

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