Nicki
Minaj is a singer who has done quite well
for herself in the last 4 years and her performing career is still gaining
momentum. You can read about her recent accomplishments
here.
Things weren't always so great for
Minaj, however. She will be the first to
tell you that life was not easy before she got her first break in the
music industry. She had many part-time, low paying jobs, and worked for
people who she says made her life a living hell.
She often thought of work as "torture" and nearly quit her jobs many times
while she was actively looking for a recording contract. However, her
pride, and the fact she had no safety net, kept her from quitting. She
also was more afraid of facing her mother and asking for help.
In the end
Minaj did get the contract she was
looking for after lots of hard work and self-promotion. Her newest
album Pink Friday spent time in top spots on the music charts in
the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Do you have a dream job you are working toward?
Minaj's story is not unlike so many other
successful people's story. You just have to be persistent, focused, and
determined. Most importantly you have to work on building a foundation
within your life upon which success can rest.
You may not like the job you are currently in, or you may not be working
at all. However, if you give in to the grind of that work or the stresses
of daily life and stop doing the things that need done now to ensure your
future success, your dream will never be fulfilled.
Minaj said, “I remember thinking, ‘I
don’t know if this is ever going (to) work but I’m going to give it one
final try.’”. She's living her dream because she didn't give up and did
the hard work needed to prepare herself for the day it was her turn
to succeed.
The Flywheel Lesson
In
Good To Great author Jim Collins
uses the analogy of a flywheel: "The additive effect of many small
initiatives; they act on each other like compound interest." A flywheel
takes great effort to get it to move from a standstill and to completing
one full spin.
However, when it spins around one time you don't stop pushing. You keep
pushing at it with everything you've got. Now, you have the benefit of the
momentum you built with that first spin in addition to your continued pushing. Sure,
the momentum from the first spin is small, but now what if you gained a
little bit more momentum with each spin? Soon, your flywheel will be
buzzing around at lightning speed!
The same principle is true with your own life or career development.
Small, positive actions you take every day build momentum. While each
action by itself may even seem insignificant, their cumulative effect is
what will allow your dream career to come to fruition. What can you do
today to bring you one step closer to your dream?
