The Long Road

While much of what I have learned this week in my studies had to do with the ethics and moral guidelines we set for ourselves when contemplating entrepreneurship (which I believe is of the utmost importance), the bits that stuck out to me had more to do with how we operate during this journey called life.

Firstly, we studied the life and career of Magdalena Yesil. A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Magdalena had a fascination with technology that led her to pursue an education as a computer engineer in America. What really stood out to me, though, was how her career began. Her first job after graduating had her drawing logic gates in a lonely cubicle for over a year. It sounded like a miserable sort of job, but after that year plus change, vacancies in the company had her moving into other departments of the company.

After a series of employment changes, Magdalena found that what she really enjoyed was being involved in the start-up of business ventures and companies. While still dealing largely with the technology she was familiar with, it is remarkable that she ended up where she is. The disparity between start and end points in a given career can often be greater than we might imagine. This idea gives me a lot of comfort. It tells me that, while defining life goals and working toward them is a good and necessary practice, the twists and turns of life (through the guidance of the Lord) often lead you to where you need to be much better than even the most careful plan.

However, we as individuals have a responsibility to be self-starting. We will not simply drift into the perfect career if we are not first active ourselves. That is why I found the “Formula” for success, as presented by James Ritchie and Steven Hitz in their book The Ministry of Business (which I highly recommend), to be an excellent guide to get one on the path to be led. Their formula goes as follows:

1. -          Get Up Early.
2. -          Work Hard.
3. -          Get Your Education.
4. -          Find Your Oil.
5. -          Make Your Mark.
6. -          Get Prepared To Be Of Service.

I will not go into great detail here about the meaning behind each of these points, but I would again highly recommend anyone who wishes to learn more to read their book. I believe it will be a keeper for me, and I’m sure it will be for you, too.