Seek The Trailblazers

This is #22 of 40 Things I’ve Learned In 40 Years.  To see a list of these short daily writings, click here.

What do you want to do?  Run a marathon, write a best seller, open a business, climb a mountain, be a good parent?

What are your circumstances?   Single mother with two kids and three jobs?  Military veteran?  Star athlete?  Convicted felon?  Trust fund baby?  Short on time, money, or contacts?

Now combine the two.  And then find the people who have come from similar circumstances and have already achieved what you seek to do.  Between Google and the public library, it’s not hard to find these people.  Human existence has been around long enough that it is unlikely that the intersection of circumstances and aspirations similar to yours has not already been encountered and documented.

Those who have come before us with similar situations and dreams have left clues that can be modeled.  Hell, they may have even left a blueprint.  There is even a chance that these trailblazers are still around and can be sought for counseling and coaching.

I’m all for learning from experience but at the same time there is no need to reinvent the wheel.  Seek the trailblazers.

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