Cross-Stepping Your Way To Success

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Cross-Stepping Your Way To Success - book excerpt

Chapter 1: How to Master Cross-Stepping 

Are you feeling like what you’re doing just isn’t working? If so, it’s time to reinvent yourself. You can do this by following these suggestions for discovering your purpose — the person you were born to become.

I know you’ve heard the saying “life is short, make the most of today.” As you grow older, this phrase becomes more meaningful, for you instinctively know that in some way it pertains to your happiness and success in life.

You’ll want to get rid of outside influences that aren’t relevant to your life goals. It’s time to update your life and career plan. There is no age limit for creating a new you.

Remember to Make This Fun — You’re Solving a Mystery!

5 Easy Steps

Step 1

My new definition of who I am as a person and new career options began with what I didn’t want to do! For you, it may be just the opposite. However, this road map will get you to your destination.

Need prompting?

Using free-form writing, jot down the things you want to do and the things you don’t want to do. They may or may not be related. For example: I know I want to be a well-read and beloved author and help others in their personal and professional growth. To learn what that meant for me, I began listing ideas for both plans. By identifying the things I wanted to do on one side and things I didn’t want to do on the other, I began to see a pattern that provided a clear picture of my likes and dislikes.

For example, I know digital marketing is important for authors and businesses, but there are many companies fired up about offering this service. They stay on the cutting edge of marketing. The other part is that’s not who I am. I don’t have a passion for personally delivering the nuts and bolts, technical side of marketing. However, it’s important for my business that I learn from these top marketers, and I do!

Another personal example for the “I like” column is helping others achieve their goals. Then I free-formed how I could do this. Perhaps, providing book reviews and tours for authors on my website and major social platforms would be helpful or sharing what I know about personal and professional development — like this book — would provide encouragement for others.

Step 2

Make a list of your present skills and training then cross-reference them to the ideas in your “I Like” column. Do you see an overlap between where you are now in lifestyle and career choices and future possibilities? If not, perhaps more research will answer your questions about earning the qualifications for doing what you want to do.

Ask what educational opportunities you need to accomplish the ideas from your “I Like” listing. Make adjustments by seeking the lessons/courses you need to make your career ideas a reality. If taking college courses isn’t right for you, check out the numerous excellent eLearning courses, such as those offered through LinkedIn, or major experts in the area for which you need support. There are some good deals available for the cost-conscious professional. If cost is not a problem, there are freelancers and businesses you can hire to achieve results. However, remember knowledge is king, and you’re protecting your business by knowing the “how-to” required to achieve the results you seek.

For example, as an author I need to know how to advertise, specifically on Amazon. I’ve taken the courses to get up and going but decided it was more technical and time-consuming than I desired. After all, this was taking me away from my writing life of putting words on paper. You guessed right, I hired a company to do it for me. This is one expense that’s a must for me — the cost of doing business. As you can see, there are times you have to improvise to get the results you seek.

For marketing any product or service, I’d suggest creating a couple of campaigns yourself from what you’ve learned from researching the topic. Then compare the results with those of the company you hired to take over this aspect of marketing for you. If your outsourcer isn’t doing better than the marketing campaigns you created, make changes, including finding a new marketing vendor.

As you go through the above process, your new plan will surface, and you’ll find ways around obstacles.

Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings. What ideas do you awaken with in the mornings? Jot those down, for the universe is trying to provide a roadmap for your next steps. The power of intention, according to the late Wayne Dyer, will lead you to the answers you seek.

Step 3

Make a list before you go to bed at night of what you’d like to accomplish the next day. Let your subconscious look for the answers as you sleep. Turn off any disturbances, like TV, radio, phone, etc. Let your mind rest. You’ll thank me later! When I know you better (smiles), I’ll share some true — but weird, you’ll probably think — occurrences of this phenomenon using this concept.

Step 4

Arise early in the morning and journal your thoughts and feelings. Meditate — psychological studies show that taking the attitude of gratitude enhances your well-being. Give thanks for your new day and use this quiet time to reflect on your goals for the day. Breaking life patterns — including staying off the Internet during this time — was a huge change and challenge for me. I’d lost my way and had to get back to basics. Now I have more direction and focus for creating the lifestyle I want. You can too!