ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT

Does your present position force you to dream of better?

Maybe... But many of us aren't really tired of where we are per se, we only get dissatisfied with our current position when we see people we know sitting comfortably two or three steps higher than us. Then, we start dreaming of being where they are and fantasizing about the perks that come with living their life.

That's the common tale, but it wasn't so for my friend Paul, who had been on the same level for more than a decade and a half!

It's funny how I can now comfortably call him friend, because our relationship started out in the most formal manner you could think of - Interviewer and Candidate.

Paul the candidate...

I was doing some holistic recruitment work for a tech company some years ago, and Paul happened to be one of the many candidates I interviewed that season. Indeed, he was right there with another gentleman sitting by the entrance of the building, hours before the first set of interviews were scheduled to commence.?

My assistant and I both noticed the two men, but paid little mind to them, as we walked straight into the elevator and proceeded to start the day's exercise.

It was one of those days when almost every candidate came with a misappropriated, but very well rehearsed pitch they got from some YouTube video, self-help book or website; one of those days the interviewer had to dig deeper to find authenticity. But Paul was one of the few that came as an open book. So, even though he wasn't one of our favourites, he wasn't struck out.

After a long day of interviewing and an even longer ride home, just as I attempted to relax and put my feet up, I got a surprise call from Paul who unknown to me had spent the rest of his day googling me on the internet!

Now armed with the information that I was not only a recruiter but a coach, he opened up even further to me and we dissected his career, looking at possible paths from where he was presently to where he wanted to go; and then, brainstorming on what it would take to get him there.

I was tired, but I appreciated his courage and forthrightness. More so, I liked the fact that while he was clearly not prepared to persist at his present level any longer, he was also wary of just jumping ship at the first available opportunity.?

He therefore, called to ask for coaching and guidance because he didn't just want to take a job, he wanted to take a quantum leap, and that night, he took the first step on the runway to his dreams.

We identified upskilling as a fundamental step before the leap. So, it wasn't a surprise that the next time we met in person was at a training workshop I was facilitating.

There he was, already actively taking steps, which before long culminated in us writing him a proper CV and the job hunt officially began.

Soon, many unsuccessful job applications turned into being shortlisted for a handful of interviews, which then gave way to seriously being considered, before he finally got an offer letter just a few months in!

I remember viewing the offer on my phone with so much gladness, but that soon gave way to reason, immediately I put my mentor cap back on.

The pay was good, but after thoroughly reading through the employee contract, I felt it wasn't a good deal for him.

"This just shows you that it's possible, it can happen. Thank GOD you got this one, now go get another, " I said, and the interviews continued until he got a more suitable offer not too long after.

Now I was overjoyed! This was proof that things could actually change for the better, in the twinkling of an eye.

Was it not just a few months ago that we met at the entrance of the interview venue? How did we get this far in such a short amount of time, punctuated by many long phone calls?

You see, we all have dreams... We dream of new jobs, new businesses, new homes et al, and even stay awake at night imagining how life would be like at a much higher level than where we are now.

Yes we dream, but then, we wake up and settle in the comfort of reality. Very few of us actually continue actively dreaming even while living in our present reality.?

The problem with waking up from the dream is that you may not recognize it when you meet it in reality.

The opportunity to bring that dream into reality always lies in reality and not in the dream itself. So, you've got to carry your dream around like a treasure map everywhere you go, keeping it visible enough to guide you without it distracting you from reality itself.

That's what Paul did, he wore his dream well, and brought it along with him on the day we met. Thank GOD he was bold enough to talk to me, his interviewer about it, and thank GOD for opening the door for him to make the leap required to bring it to pass.

Dear friends, a single chance meeting, LinkedIn connection, school run, lunch date, conference, reassignment, phone call, email or casual conversation can turn that dream of yours into a reality. So, please don't stop dreaming, even when you're awake!

To your success,

Olayinka A. Williams?

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