Dear loving people,
Literally, vantage point means a position
that affords a broad overall view or perspective, as of a place or situation. To
me, it equally denotes a higher level of success you attain as a cumulative result
of painstaking actions meticulously taken over time such that you have an overview
of what it takes to get there and can point out the pitfall to others because
you are now at a higher level and can see all around you the struggles of
others.
During
the very early days of my career, I had a boss who gave me a “Lacks
ambition” rating on my performance review. Despite the fact that my
second supervisor opposed the rating, it did not calm me because I knew fully
well that when it comes to work, employees who lack ambition seldom rise to the
top of an organization. Without a strong desire to achieve something, nothing
is accomplished.
Today when
I look back, I thank that boss because that rating he gave me, set me on a new
path, I decided that I will stop at nothing to get the highest performance
rating possible and a few years later, I repeatedly achieved the “consistently
exceeds expectation” rating.
But I
must however caution that in a world where ambition often compels people to do
whatever it takes to rise to positions of power over others, God calls His
people to a new way of living. We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition
(Phil. 2:3) and to lay aside the weight of sin that ensnares us (Heb. 12:1).
If you
want to be someone who truly “rises up,” make it your ambition to humbly love
and serve God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). This frame
of mind did changed the way I regarded myself when I was rated a high
performer, I was in
shock—I had entered the cherished circle of high performers.
It’s
the oddest feeling when something you’ve been working towards finally comes to
fruition. For me, I had constantly done my auto-evaluation, adjusting my
strategies for so long, so reading it my new rating in the performance report
seemed surreal. Success can be surreal like that.
It
got me thinking about victories. So often people talk about their worries and
struggles to rise to prominence but seldom do we talk about success when it
comes. When success happens to us, sometimes we aren’t sure how to embrace it
because we’ve been struggling for so long. Or we overlook our achievements.
Many
of us undermine the good things that happen in our lives. So it is vital to
learn how to let the positive things really sink in and benefit us. A starting
point that can assist you get the most out of your achievements are the
following!
Visualize your achievements. For me, holding my performance
report with such good rating was similar to the way that parents cuddle a
newborn child. Shortly after reading the report, though, I put it aside and
moved on to other things I had to do during the day. But then I picked the report
back up. Too often, we don’t let the good stuff sink in—so I felt and touched
and examined this report for what is was. I now reread the successive reports
regularly and keep them at a hands’ stretch where I can get to it at any moment
and relive the good feelings each time. Did you receive a certificate of appreciation?
Display it in your home or in your office so you can see what you received each
time you look at it. This is a simple way to be reminded constantly that you’ve
done well.
Mention, don’t brag. You may not want to talk up your
accomplishments out of fear that others will think you’re bragging. If you have
this mindset, you probably aren’t a bragger anyway. So go ahead and tell your
friend that you’ve landed a big account. Tell your family members about all of
the interesting appreciation you’ve received. Tell them about your good news
and listen to theirs. I would be careful of the way you talk to others in your
industry, though. Only my close friends know that when I share good news I’m
not boasting—others may not have the capacity to understand. But it’s good to
discuss your successes, and listen to others’ accomplishments. It shows support
and a sound relationship with someone that you can mention successes and not be
jealous or vindictive. Find friends that support you and share the goodness.
Publicize your career bonuses. When you complete a
project to a client’s utmost satisfaction, this is the kind of thing that you
should publicize. And remember that publicizing doesn’t mean bragging: it’s
more about using a success as a stepping stone toward more accomplishments. Use
a knockout clip in your portfolio. These are simple things to do that will help
you leverage one success into more achievements. I always tell friends of the
huge projects that got realized because I played a major role in their
implementation. In a similar sense, it’s okay to mention that you’re an
“award-winning” professional if you’ve won an award in your organization. It’s
not boasting—it’s marketing your professional status and all of us need to
celebrate the good.
Good
happens. Let’s all try focusing on the good things, too. Securing a new client,
creating a masterpiece…these are things that you should celebrate in your own
way. And if you’re lucky enough to have a support system, you can raise a glass
to yourself every once in a while.
At
this vantage point, you don’t hope to roll off to the bottom of the hill again,
exhale, live and let others live.
