Most weekend evenings during the pandemic found my family and I huddled around the television enjoying a show together. One of the shows we grew fond of was Mysteries of the Abandoned on the Science channel. We enjoyed seeing old places and learning about their history. It was also entertaining to hear the different contributing engineers, scientists, and professionals untangle the evidence and teach us about these places’ importance.
One of the mechanical engineers on the show, Rob Bell, is a favorite of ours. His commentary always contains a subtle excitement similar to that of an adventurer’s discovery of a new world. I guess that is because Rob Bell, aside from being an engineer, is an endurance athlete who is a bit of an adventurer. He also distinguishes himself as one of a handful of people who have run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. He is not your typical engineer, nor is he a weekend marathoner.
When I researched Rob before having him on the show, I was fascinated with his accomplishments and interests. Besides being a T.V. presenter and endurance athlete, Rob has an affinity for historical trains, tanks, multiple endurance sports, and being a champion of S.T.E.M. subjects. I believed that Rob would be a fascinating guest for the podcast, and I was not disappointed. I know you will enjoy listening to his interview as much as I did recording it.
Video Podcast:
Audio Podcast:
Action Items:
It was a pleasure having Rob on the show. He brought great insight into how we can all approach our days and improve ourselves to get a better start with some small things I challenge you to do today:
Knocking Something Off Your List: Rob tells us he achieves momentum to the day by being able to “tick” something off his to-do list early in the day. I agree that when you get up with a purpose and accomplish one or two small things off your list, it progresses to the third and fourth items pretty quickly. I say it puts you in the mindset of, “well, I am doing this, so why not just do that too?” kind of momentum. So, pick one thing tomorrow to accomplish as soon as you get up and see if it leads you to do the next item on your list. I bet it will.
Understand More: Rob and I discuss the importance of students being exposed to coding even if they are not in a technological field. As we discussed it more, we agreed that anyone could benefit from a better coding vocabulary with technology encroaching on every aspect of our lives. We are talking about understanding what happens before and after our part in any business process. I do not think there is a job in any industry that does not benefit from programming or data processing. I would look to YouTube and other accessible information sources to increase your understanding of coding or services to parse data for analysis. Even better, learn about newer technologies that are being used in your future career field.
Build a Team: Rob had a team that helped him stay motivated to complete seven marathons. He currently has a small team that is assisting him to complete his current T.V. production. A team can keep you motivated and can provide different viewpoints from which all members can benefit. So, go out and build your support team. It can be just one other person or a dozen. Just make sure they are invested in your success in some manner. If you are working on a specific project or course, gather together people doing the same tasks. Ask them to meet once a week for purposes of collective review or problem-solving. You will find that you all will raise your game and hold each other accountable for completing your work.
Conclusion:
We can all learn from Rob and how he shared his journey of self-discovery. If you know what you want to do in life, great, get a support team together and get going. Like most of us, if you have a hard time figuring out your path in life, it is okay. The important thing is to get out there and try a bunch of stuff and keep trying. Make a list of things you think you may like and try them all. Get your team together to give you feedback on what they believe motivates you. To engineer your career, you need to take the time to understand what can provide you a lifestyle of purpose and enjoyment. If you need to get a professional to help you, then do it; if you have a mentor who you trust, call them, whatever it is, get up and take the first step today. When we know what inspires us, we can start each day with a motivated team supporting us and focus on a rewarding life and career.
Contact Me
I appreciate feedback of all kinds, so please email me any questions or feedback to scott@getagoodstart.com. Have a great week, and remember, it doesn’t take a lot to get a good start; you just have to start. Thank you.
Remember that the best leaders do not care where the best ideas come from, so do not be shy away from discussing your thoughts with your mentors and leaders.
