The Green Sheet Online Edition

February 11, 2013 • Issue 13:02:01

Inspiration

Take one invigorating step

When was the last time you did something completely new, something outside of your area of expertise - a time when you took on a challenge no matter how uncomfortable or frightening it may have been? Do you remember how exhilarating it was to take the first step toward that enticing personal goal - and then how thrilling it was to attain it?

If you're like many of your professional peers, it's probably been a bit too long. You, as an ISO or merchant level salesperson in the payments industry, are a dedicated entreprenueur. As such, you shoulder multiple professional responsibilities, and in some cases, other people depend on you for their livelihoods.

Often it seems impractical, or even foolish, to set aside time to learn how to captain a sail boat, speak a new language, do salsa dancing, ride a surfboard, participate in a geological dig, build a cabin, make a quilt or any number of other things you might be drawn to that aren't directly related to advancing in business.

You might feel that you have to choose between taking on enriching personal challenges and pursuing your professional goals. If so, it's time to let go of that notion. It turns out that pursuing activities for the pure joy of it will bring you multiple benefits that will improve all areas of your life, including your work life.

Enjoy the benefits

Here are several benefits you can derive from taking on a new personal challenge:

• Time: Studies show that carving out time in your schedule for something you truly want to do can cause you
• Passion: If you allow yourself to do something you've been longing to do for a while, it is highly likely to fire up your passion and bring out your sense of fun.
• Accomplishment: Pursuing something you love provides a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and enhanced self-worth.
• Friendship: Trying something new typically involves meeting people with whom you have something in common, which can lead to fulfilling, long-lasting friendships.
• Transformation: In pursuing a new activity, you might discover you have a hidden talent, one that could take your life in an unexpected, rewarding direction.

Take action

So what's one thing you've been itching to do? Do you want to sing opera, play the banjo, become a skateboard ace or a chess champion? Whatever it is, take one step today toward making it happen. That will lead to another and another and another.

In time, you might be on stage enjoying applause from an admiring audience, deeply involved with a creative team designing a killer app or telling all your Facebook fans about the mystery novel you just wrote. But it won't happen unless you take that first step. Don't let anything stop you.

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