Getting to Where You Need to Be

The question we look at often is why. Why this? Why me? Why now? Yet, many times the why is just superfluous.

If you have a situation going on, something out of the regular routine of your life, the real questions are what and how. What do I do about this? And, how do I do it?

You can spend days and weeks going over the why. As an after action report the why becomes essential because you have a chance to not get in the same problem area again. Until then, you need to improve the situation.

There are two ways to map your path out of any situation. You can start mapping where you are and plan towards where you want to be. Or, you can reach out ahead of yourself and figure out where you want to be, and then map backward to where you are. Here is a sample of each.

Mapping Forward

This is the situation I am in now (write it out). To get to where I want to go, I have to do A (write out whatever step A is.) Then I have to do B (write out whatever step B is.) And finally, I have to do C, and of course, you write out whatever that is also.

Mapping Backwards

Sometimes, mapping backward is more straightforward. You know where you need to be, so you start by listing that. Then you start working back. Before I can get to my destination, I am must do C, (write out whatever it is you need to do at step C.) Before I can get to step C, I must do step B. Don’t forget to record step B. The action between where I am now and step B looks like it may be too much of a stretch. I better put in a step A. We better record that one also.

These are just Two of the avenues to get to where you want to be.  Wherever you are going, Have a good and a safe trip.

Author: Mike Balof

A retired Air Force Master Sergeant, Mike used to lay in bed at night and worry about what would happen if his plant closed or found himself without a job. One day his plant closed. Rather than panic and hysteria (OK, maybe a little) Mike found himself carried away on the adventure of his life. Mike started with the best job he ever had working at Home Depot. He spent 8 years working with job seekers at a local workforce center, helping them to find employment. He then started his own company developing courses, writing books and urging others to follow their own paths into the future. Mike holds a Master of Arts in Adult Education and Training and a Bachelor of Business Management, earned through the University of Phoenix and an AAS degree in Electronics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force. Mike is a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. View all posts by Mike Balof