| Stories from The Road to Success is Paved with | | | | today in a Google Internet search, in German, |
| Failure, By Joey Green: | | | | Chinese and English.What if money is the barrier that |
| - In 1957, Don Hewitt, who went on to become | | | | keeps you from pursuing your most fulfilling dreams? |
| executive producer of the CBS hit "60 Minutes," told | | | | Next to age, money seems to be the barrier of |
| Barbara Walters to "stay out of television." | | | | greatest concern to people considering a new career |
| - Elton John's first single, "Come Back, Baby" | | | | direction, Pollan says. As with age, we may wrongly |
| released with his band, Bluesology, never made it to | | | | conclude that money is a barrier without doing the |
| the charts. He failed his audition for Liberty Records | | | | research.Assess your financial capacityStart with a |
| and his 1968 debut album "Empty Skies" flopped. | | | | complete review of your finances, including wages, |
| - Dustin Hoffman dropped out of Santa Monica City | | | | savings and other assets, and your current expenses. |
| College. Unable to find an acting job in New York, he | | | | It will clarify your actual financial needs and |
| worked as a janitor and an attendant in a hospital | | | | wherewithall, compared to your imagined financial |
| mental ward.- - -Each of these celebrities went on to | | | | capacity.A great way to measure your income |
| become world famous in their chosen professions. | | | | against expenses is a free template offered on |
| The success we attribute to each of them today | | | | Microsoft's web site. You can download this Excel |
| was hard won. What if Barbara Walters had taken | | | | spreadsheet, use the categories provided on the |
| Don Hewitt's words to heart? What if Elton John had | | | | sheet, or create your own.Find the template at the |
| seen his audition and the flop of his debut album a | | | | Personal Finance link and then the Personal Budget |
| sign he should give up? What if Dustin Hoffman had | | | | template).After assessing your actual expenses and |
| stayed put, working in the hospital mental ward?The | | | | income sources, you may be able to shave |
| trick is to pursue your career and lifestyle aspirations | | | | non-essential expenses long enough to squirrel away |
| and not give up! The barriers can seem | | | | enough money to finance your cherished career |
| insurmountable - yet the world is diminished when we | | | | dream. You also may discover short-term ways to |
| don't follow our destiny.Confront real, imagined | | | | increase your income by moonlighting or selling some |
| barriersIn his most recent book, Second Acts: | | | | assets.No matter the real or imagined barriers, there |
| Creating the life you really want, building the career | | | | are techniques to surmount them. Think about |
| you truly desire, Stephen Pollan lists 12 common | | | | difficult situations you've confronted in your past. |
| barriers to entry people face forging new directions | | | | How did you overcome them? Looking back on |
| after discovering their work unfulfilling: | | | | strategies you've used successfully can pave the |
| - Age | | | | way to viable approaches you can take today.Learn |
| - Money | | | | from others who have risen to the top in the field |
| - Duration (amount of time to get into it) | | | | Who are the stars and champions in the field to |
| - Consent of others (spouse, other family members) | | | | which you are heading? What can you learn about |
| - Location | | | | how they overcome barriers that can be instructive |
| - Physical condition (for example, body build to be a | | | | in your own life? Are any approachable, possibly |
| basketball player) | | | | mentors, to help you get to where you want to go?I |
| - Education and training | | | | offer a virtual telephone group for people from all |
| - Timing | | | | over the United States starting up small businesses |
| - Esteem | | | | or contemplating a start up. I am amazed at how |
| - Fear of failure | | | | creative people in these groups are about helping |
| - Fear of Success | | | | others overcome the barriers they face to getting |
| - Fatalism (thinking destiny is fixed)Which of these | | | | what they want. I've observed time and again that |
| barriers do you face in fulfilling a career aspiration? | | | | we each have much more courage for others.We |
| Many seem larger than they really are because of | | | | can see ways around, under, over and through |
| our own internal barriers.For example: Perhaps you | | | | blockages they view as solidly concrete.So make |
| think you are too old to pursue a particular career | | | | yourself a promise - don't give up your "backburner |
| direction. Is that truly the case or have you made | | | | dream." Find another person or group to start closing |
| your mind up without doing the research necessary | | | | on your cherished dream of what you want to |
| to determine whether your hunch is entirely true? | | | | contribute to the world. |
| What if your age actually could be an advantage, | | | | Whether it's starting a new business, changing |
| setting you apart from others?Remember feisty | | | | careers or writing a book, the only real barriers are |
| octogenarian Clara Peller who asked "Where's The | | | | those from which you dare not escape!Melanie |
| Beef?" in the Wendy's commercials in the 1980s? Her | | | | Keveles MA, CPCC, Certified Professional Life Coach. |
| age made her a cult figure, adding to the impact of | | | | She's a "dream champion," working with people who |
| her persona in those television commercials. More | | | | want to change career direction, start a business or |
| than 15 years after her death, her name comes up | | | | publish a book. |