"WHICH WAY IS UP?"

                     Structured vs. Blind Ambition

 

 

How many of you remember the late seventies movie Which Way Is Up, starring the late great Richard Pryor?

 

If you’re familiar with the story, Richard’s character, Leroy, was left in a quandary when he became a union leader with no idea of what he was doing.

 

It can happen to the best of us faced with similar situations with career goals, unsure how to plan for them, or those who never plan and shoot from the hip.

 

If you’re like me, you’re a planner. Someone who charts a destination for what I’d like to happen in my personal and business life.

 

With any job, you set aside earnings with a clear understanding you’re investing in your future. That is an excellent example of a structured approach.

 

However, many never give thought to anything except living for today. And at the last minute, they decide to assemble some plan that is not well structured. This a prime example of blind ambition, going through life with blinders on.

 

Life is difficult without adding to the mix. We all know that nothing is guaranteed, not even tomorrow. But we can’t live that way, right?

 

We all desire to reach our goals. The more ambitious you are, the better.

 

In my opinion, people who never plan for anything lack ambition. That’s not an insult but an insight into the definition of insanity. (doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome)

We all know that never works and why it’s better to have less chaos and a more significant direction of where we would like to be.

 

Most people start planning for the future each day, regardless of what the next day might bring. Wouldn’t it be sad to awake twenty years from now wishing you made a plan within those same twenty years?

 

To better understand career goals, you should start with a solid foundation. Who builds a house on top of dirt, something that will shift and wash away over time?

 

Hopefully, no one constructs anything with at least a general understanding of how things work when done properly.

 

There are different ways to obtain a successful career path, but I can guarantee most begin with a structured plan.

If you want insight or a logical direction, you should know how to get there and why a structured approach will always outweigh blind ambition.

 

In other words, to see, you must know where you’re going. Think of ambition as a roadmap. No matter your chosen direction, a well-charted route will help you arrive if you follow it completely to the planned destination.

 

Blind ambition, however, is a direct route to failure. I’m not saying you won’t get there. But isn’t it better to have fewer obstacles and a traveling aid to help you along the way?

 

Perhaps, in the near future, I might write a book about career goals. But for now, I’ll leave you with this thought, if you want to know which way is up, develop a structured plan for your life and career. Remember, you limit your mobility by not controlling the controllable things.