July 9, 2007
Discover Your True
Path; Let Other People Teach You
Final in a four-part
series.
One key to discovering your true path in life is to let other people
teach you.
You can learn by observing others. When I was 17 years old, I thought I
wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. So I took advantage of an offer to
shadow the Milwaukee Brewers’ team doctor for a day. I expected to watch
surgeries and meet baseball players. Instead, this is what I
experienced.
There were no surgeries to watch. There were no baseball stadiums to
visit. There were just countless examination room doors to open and
close. We visited patients in his office all day long – more than I can
remember. I knew the visits were important. My own orthopedic doctors
helped me many times. I just didn’t realize how much of a doctor’s week
was spent in the office. I learned in one day that the path of a doctor
was not for me.
Who will you observe this year to test an interest of yours? Don’t
romanticize an interest. Investigate it.
You can learn by asking others. Meet with people who love what they do
in your company. Ask them what excites them about their work. Ask them
how they discovered their passion. Ask them what they did to reach this
point in their career. You will learn a lot about yourself as you listen
to their stories. You will also expand and deepen your relationships at
work as a result. The colleagues you interview will feel appreciated by
your interest.
When I was at Yahoo!, one of the many people I respected and admired was
Kirk Froggatt, former vice president of human resources. Kirk loved any
activity that helped inspire and develop Yahoo! employees. One day he
joined me for lunch. At the time I was running Yahoo!’s Customer Care
Division.
We
talked for two hours. He then gave me a book. I read it over one
weekend. And then, over the ensuing months, I read Kirk’s white papers,
plans, and recommended books. I loved everything he sent to me. And
along the way, I discovered that my true path was in the field of
learning and development. One year later, I moved into a full-time role
leading the training organization at Yahoo!. It started with a lunch.
With whom will you meet this year? Be humble. Reach out.
You can learn by the example of others. In 1917, my grandfather lived in
Brunswick, Maine. He worked as a bookkeeper for the Bath Iron Works, the
largest shipbuilder in the country at the time. He worked long hours. He
lived at home. He had no extra money. He had an elementary-school
education. And he dreamed of becoming an accountant.
Despite his circumstances, my grandfather found a way to pursue his
dream. He adhered to a motto: “I can. I will.” My grandfather borrowed
the correspondence course books that his older brother had purchased
years earlier to study accounting. He set aside two hours every night
after work to read the books and take the practice tests – without
looking at his brother’s answers. My grandfather would then clear his
mind with a walk, and then go to bed. For two years, he followed this
plan. In 1919, my grandfather passed the State of Maine accounting exam.
The original certificate conferring my grandfather’s right to practice
accounting hangs in my parents’ living room. It reminds my family what
you can achieve when you make time for pursuing your true path.
Whose example will you emulate this year? Learn from their journey.
One key to discovering your true path is to let other people teach you.
Observe them. Ask them. Emulate them.
Email David your
thoughts and stories at
david@themomentumproject.com.
© 2007 David J. Pollay.
Distributed by North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.
Click here to talk to our writers and
editors about this column and others in our discussion forum.
To e-mail feedback about this column,
click here. If you enjoy this writer's
work, please contact your local newspapers editors and ask them to carry
it.
This is Column # DJP016.
Request permission to publish here.
|