Sometimes we have to be patient and sometimes we have to get moving. Wisdom is knowing which time and when to do what. I know it is easier said than done. But we all know when we’ve exhausted certain possibilities – and quite possibly ourselves – in the course of finding out.

Wouldn’t it be great to know everything first? That could save a lot of time. One way is to train your brain to do some assessing first. Do the ‘scenario test’ – what if I stayed in this job? The same old stuff but with a pay cheque. What if I thought of a new career?

A good plan is you can stay in your job while you are working your brain toward something more challenging. Sometimes that will open up opportunities in your present job. Do the brain work first, ask yourself a lot of questions. If, at the end of trying to make your current situation better, it is an obvious dead-end, then it is a good time to move on.

When we hear of extremely successful people, it’s usually safe to assume they have had some obstacles or difficulties along the way. Michelangelo said something worth thinking about: “If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn’t seem too wonderful at all.” We usually see the end result and not the process.

I sometimes tell people they are not cut to be directors or managers because it is true. Some people are; and some people aren’t. It will save you a lot of time and hardship if you can figure that out first. As with anything, you have to see how you handle pressure and the risk factor. It’s similar to going through the set of questions we had at the beginning of this letter.

Learn to scrutinise yourself and your capabilities and find the time for some thought-provoking thinking. As Confucius said: “learning without thought is labour lost.” Don’t let that happen to you. Learn, work and think in equal proportions and you will be going in the right direction.

Surprise Elvin Basson
Weenen