It Takes Courage to Prepare for a Successful Journey

I left for Egypt toward the end of January 2020, just as the world was starting to realize the potential impact of COVID-19. It’s now July, and the idea of traveling internationally is remote. A fantasy.

Frequently, I think back to my memories of Egypt—touring historic sites and hearing tales of resilience and epic journeys.

Egyptians believed the human soul was immortal. The pharaoh’s spirit had to face off against beasts guarding magical gates en route to the afterlife. Pharaohs prepared for this passage. Their tombs included hieroglyphs with all the spells and codes they’d need to cross the underworld. On their journey, the assessor gods would determine if their heart was lighter than a feather. Only then would they be allowed to enter the afterlife.
The tombs in the Valley of the Kings were built in preparation for this journey. In year one of the pharaoh’s reign, the design kicked-off—and the construction lasted for years, depending on how long the pharaoh lived.

Are you prepared for your own journey?

Pharaohs prepared thoroughly to move from one world to the next because they felt certain of their eventual transition. As professionals, we have a similar level of certainty. Our jobs as we know them will eventually change as we grow professionally. Our companies will evolve based on market trends and needs. Considering we know an eventual transition is certain, what can we do today to prepare for it?

What are you doing to prepare to transition from one role to the next?

From one company to the next?

How are you preparing for unprecedented times?

“If you do not know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere"
– Henry Kissinger

As a visual learner, mapping out my goals and a plan to achieve them has proven successful. I’ve used the BHAG concept Jim Collins introduced in his book Built to Last to accelerate not only my progress but also my team’s progress. (BHAG stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goal.) It’s powerful. Let me talk you through it.

Imagine your Big Hairy Audacious Goal—and make a plan to reach it

Ready to plan out your professional journey? Ready to tackle your BHAG? It’s as easy as taking three steps.

Step 1: Imagine your most audacious goal. Where do you see yourself in the next 3, 5, or 7 years? This is your BHAG. I have multiple BHAGs with different timeframes. Within the next 5 years, I see myself as Chief Operating Officer of a small- or medium-sized SaaS company.

Step 2: Identify your strategic goals. What will it take for you to get there? How do others who have reached the goal operate? To accelerate my journey, I focus on areas I need to develop in most. Excellence in a C-Level position includes the ability to set and successfully communicate a vision for your team. So one of my strategic goals is to become an effective communicator in the next three years. (Always keep goals measurable and time-bound.)

Step 3: What tactical steps will you need to complete to achieve your strategic goals? These are unique to you and must take you out of your comfort zone. In my journey to become a successful communicator, I’ve identified three tactical goals for this year:

Build the foundation for my personal brand by becoming an author and launching my website
Partner with a communication coach and take on speaking engagements
Practice gratitude and generosity on a daily basis.

Go ahead and map them out (mine are below). Place your goals where you’ll see them often.