FIND YOUR LANE (explained)

Being good at what you do or being excellent at what you do - it all boils down to four broad factors. Simple factors: Some mistakenly refer to the phrase "find your passion" or "do what you love" as a motivational statement that really misses the point. Those who make those profound statements, what they really mean is, find Your Lane. Who hates it when a life coach, motivational speaker, or anyone for that matter tells its audience, simply follow your passion or find your passion? I don't care for that simplicity - It always had pissed me off until I thought what they couldn't explain clearly enough - that is FIND YOUR LANE.

Anyone can be good at something if they work hard, stay focused, and challenge themselves. But, if you want to excel to the top, find and stay in your Lane. As I explain below, your Lane provides you with the best path forward to excellence and success. That Lane is made up of at least four critical components, genetics, hard work, focus, finding challenging situations to grow, and what some call luck or good fortune. It is the gifts/talents that you were born with that helps you find and understand your strengths, your weaknesses your abilities, and thus, build an environment that you design that compliments and plays on those talents/genetic gifts.

For example, back in the day, I was recruited and swam on the UCLA swim team. Why was that sport of interest to me? Genetics tells part of the story, I was born with a long torso and arm length (one of the most crucial genetic factors for success in Men's competitive swimming). If I tried to be a runner or a cycler, with effort, time, and focus, I know I could be decently competitive, but never on an elite scale. The simple truth, I wasn't born with a runner's or cyclist body to reach the top of that sport. Hence, as I enjoyed the sport of competitive swimming, work hard, stayed focused, and through a series of fortunate events. I was always driven to be at the top of my sport (elite in my Lane - short distance/sprint freestyle and butterfly). Since I was nine years old, I stayed in my Lane through hours of hard work-outs, focus, preventing burn-out, and mental conditioning. If I had chosen another lane, such as competitive track or cycling, I would have been in the middle of the bunch - good, but never elite or excellent.

So, look at the four factors above, and if you can find your Lane or lanes, start cultivating it, and find a way to either move in a different direction or if you can do so financially, quit your job. It is never too late to find your Lane and not stay in the one that was likely chosen for you by a series of fortuitous circumstances (where outside forces designed your environment for you instead of you creating your environment).

It starts, though, with a profound reflection on identifying what your true talents/gifts are. Then, write those down with the mind-set of matching those talents/gifts with your strengths to find your Lane for your optimal career or entrepreneurial venture and consequently giving you the most optimum chance for great successes and accomplishments in life.