Driving to Success.. How Thinking Affects Action

I was driving in my car the other day and as I observed how I drove compared to how others drove, I wondered, is there a correlation between driving a car and being driven for success? Thinking about the way I drive it does make sense. When I get in the car no matter whether I am in a rush or not, I like to get where I am going. The whole, "Let's go for a leisurely Sunday drive just doesn't work for me." I think the only time that may have been applicable was when I first got my license. Like most people I wanted to drive for the sake of driving.

As I embark on my journey to my destination I like to drive the speed limit (maybe even 5 over - occasionally). I am going to drive in the lanes that pose the path of least resistance. Why? Well it's more efficient and is going to help me arrive at my destination quicker. My dad, lovingly calls me a "lane changer" because I do not stay on one lane if it is hindering me or slowing me down. I think about the designation - "lane changer" and it really does apply to me. When I reflect back on my past and current successes I realize that I achieved those successes and goals because I had to constantly maneuver myself and change my way of thinking. Staying in one "lane" was not going to get me to my goal in the time frame that I wanted and in some cases not at all. I had to be willing to change lanes but also know when to slow down and speed up. It was not necessary for other people to know the rhyme and reason to my actions but as long as I knew what I was doing that is what mattered. In fact I have been criticized numerous times because the direction I was travelling was not the path that someone else thought I should travel. But they lacked the insight of what my goals were and where I wanted to go.

When I drive I try to take the approach with my fellow drivers that they themselves are driving with purpose; that they are trying to get where they are going in an efficient manner. So besides driving my path toward my goals I am constantly tweaking and changing to help those around me. I don't know about you but this sounds like a great success plan - work toward your goals while helping others work for theirs. To quote the great Stephen Covey now we have a, "Win Win."

Let's look at the flip side. How does my being a "lane changer" differ from a reckless driver? As I stated above my premise is to work for my goal while helping others work for theirs. If this means I have to stay in one lane longer than I planned or maybe drive a bit slower, then so be it (this is the WE approach). The reckless driver drives with purpose but it is theirs and theirs alone. They are going to get where they are going at whatever costs necessary and as quickly as possible. It is all about them (This is the ME approach).

So I present to you some comparisons of driving and being driven to success. This is conjecture and may not apply to everyone. See if any of these apply to you:

• The Lane Changer - changes lanes throughout their travels and realizes there is more than one way to success.
• The same lane(r) - steady as they go. Puts themselves on a path that they feel is safe with little to no change. They are ok with taking time and enjoying the trip to success.
• The Spacer - this person leaves plenty of space between them and the vehicle in front of them. If someone moves in front of them they will slow down to accommodate that amount of space between vehicles. The spacer has the potential to lose opportunities because if you leave an open space, someone is going to take it. The same applies in business and success, if you leave an opportunity open and don't take it, someone else will.
• Waits until the very end of the merge lane to move into traffic - this person can be a procrastinator who just waits until the last minute to act. This can also be someone who is all about "me." They know that there is a good chance that by the time they reach the end of the merge lane that others will slow down or stop to accommodate them. This can also be a dangerous way of thinking. The "Me" way of thinking can only take you so far before you realize that you need to start thinking in terms of "We."
• The slow driver - similar to the "same laner" but this person is definitely along for the ride.
• The Bad Left Laner - this is the person who drives in the lane designated for smoother (faster) moving traffic but instead of adjusting their speed to the flow of traffic, they maintain the same speed. There could be no one in front of them but traffic may be piling up behind them because of them. This is the person who prefers to just do their own thing while not necessarily taking into account how it affects the people around them. They may think that others are not on the right path or are moving too fast so they are going to adjust their way of thinking to match theirs. This is very similar to the "Me" way of thinking. There can be those who think similarly to you but you should not try to impose your way of thinking.
• The stop and go / speed up and slow downer - chances are this person is messing with their cell phone or paying attention to something other than the road. This person has a hard time completing their tasks and achieving their goals in a timely manner because they are constantly distracted.
• The Blocker - so you are a lane changer and you are working to achieve your goals but there is that person who keeps changing their speed to prevent you from passing them. These can be people that are jealous of what you are trying to do or for whatever reason feel threatened by you so they are going to get in your way in the attempt to slow you down. Sometimes they're just jerks!
• The "I'll let you in" driver - I'm not talking about the courteous every once in a while but the I'm going to let everyone in in front of me. While their courtesy is to be commended and it is great to have such nice people out there, it can be negatively affecting the people behind them.

Maybe you know some of these people, maybe you don't; maybe you are one or more of these people. My hope for you is this - whichever way you are driving to success, do it smartly, safely and think about others as you do so. Hopefully they are thinking about you as well.



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