“Unless you try and do something beyond what you have mastered, you will never grow.”
C.R. Lawton
I had an interesting day today. This post is pretty much a “think-aloud” based loosely on it. If you haven’t heard of the Peter Principle it is defined as this:
In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence.
According to this, you will be incompetent eventually if you take on too much. The thing that sucks is that to other people, it won’t appear as too much. Part of the Peter Principle involves “they” (your boss, your co-workers) raising you up to the position think you can fill.
But what do YOU think. That should be of high importance.
Every job that I have had I have tried to master on some level. Currently, as a teacher, I feel I’ve become a master teacher. In fact, I am a trainer and a mentor so that term is actually a proveable fact. Does it mean I am the best I could ever be? No. Does it mean I should move up and become something other than a teacher: ie; teacher on special assignment, Principal, Assistant Principal, Teacher in Charge, Educational Author? I am not sure.
One thing is for certain. I will stay just out of my comfort zone and no more. I know I am best when I have mastery over something (that is probably something that goes without saying huh?). To leap into a dark chasm of something new may feel exhilarating. Especially if it’s more pay and more notoriety. But now facing 40 I know the value of taking baby steps. I also know that isn’t always our luxury. Sometimes we get one chance at a promotion and one chance only. In those cases we may have to step out and go beyond what is normally “just out of our comfort zone,” but we HAVE to stay cool. I have to stay cool. Maybe it’s because I’m turning 40 or maybe it’s because I’ve had a really successful run of years at my job and I’m feeling ambitious. Either way, I am contemplating the idea of growth and change. I think they are inevitable as a law of nature. This isn’t a midlife crisis. I had mine at 29 1/2.
So, to put it in a question, when do YOU think it is time to go beyond what you have mastered?
4 Comments
I find I learn more just outside my comfort zone as opposed to leaping into something I know nothing about or I’m not as comfortable with in my current skills set, especially at this point in my life. I don’t think it’s necessarily the “40″ thing, but the typical lives of 40 year olds. At 29 1/2, I had already had 4 children, but most of my friends were still pretty much only accountable to themselves. It seemed much easier to take bigger leaps back then because there wasn’t the family to worry about and want to spend time with while you’re doing it, right? I think everyone should always challenge themselves to some degree, how much you can push that challenge at any given time depends on the person and their situation.
@Jessica The Rock Chick: My mom was just saying the same thing to me the other day about how she had four at 30. She says it was weird then (mosther friends didn’t have kids or didn’t have so many) but makes her a better grandmother now. I think we learn and grow through challenges to our comfort zone as long as we don’t take foolish strides too soon :) Thanks for your comment.
I think that until you have mastered a temptation to give in to flattery, you shouldn’t try and master anything else. I would be worrying myself sick and hating getting up in the mornings if I’d taken a job recently that people were convinced I would be able to do. Being able is not the point. I love doing what I’m doing now, and there’s always challenge, but not daily terror. I agree with everything you say and I’m so relieved I stood my ground.
@Fran: The flattery seduction is an excellent point I hadn’t thought of. That is totally relevant. It sounds like you stayed in a good place. Perhaps it will be a better time to try that stuff that prompted the flattery later.