Often it is hard to see that big changes will bring us long term goals because we have to firstly go backwards before we can move forward. Or in the case of the Somoan’s, move sideways and start driving on the wrong side of the road for a long term goal and gain! Sound like chaos? No doubt is was, but at 6am yesterday morning all cars were taken off the road and 10 minutes later allowed to drive again, but this time on the left side of the road. After driving on the right for more than a century there has to be a good reason for such a drastic change, and there is.
The Samoan government is hoping that richer relatives based in countries like New Zealand and Australia will send over their old cars for them to use. In Australia we drive on the left with our cars built for the driver to be positioned in the middle of the road. The Somoan’s have made the change so that in the long term they will phase out the right hand drive cars. It is a long term vision that is a big step backwards at first, but in the long run is set to be very beneficial for the transport in the country.
In our lives, often we can have a long term vision that we want to get to, but in order to achieve our goals we must firstly make the decision to drive on the wrong side of the road. We must take things slowly as we make the adjustment so we don’t crash and give up. I went from being an accountant after 6 years of study and work, to a labourer with a landscaping company at the age of 24. Big change? You bet, but four years later has it helped me to achieve the bigger picture and be far better positioned for my longer term goals? Absolutely! In fact I could never have achieved half of what I wanted by not changing.
The lesson is that if you have a vision, you may have to make drastic and difficult changes in the short term to achieve them. Focus on what you can control and how you can reach your goals not what is standing in your way.
Watch out for part two to this blog later in the week on ‘Controlling the Controllable.’
Chris Bellesini
Remember, You Too, Can
Choose Your Own Success
