Tools-Works-Results-Satisfication
Have you ever tried to change a flat tire without a jack? Ever washed soiled clothes without a washing machine? How about cleaning up a yard full of leaves without a rake? These tasks are possible without the aid of the right tool, but they will require more time and energy-both precious commodities you’d rather not waste.
Tools are invaluable to life. I’m not just talking about car jacks and rakes. Rather, I refer to any instrument that helps you carry out a task-in this case, growing a career in which you can be radically rewarded and enthusiastically engaged… a career that brings value to others. Think about the cycle that tools set in motion:
- Tools enable you to work.
- Work produces results.
- Results bring about satisfaction.
Satisfaction renders many illusive “possessions” that we crave as members of the human race: happiness, peace of mind, financial security, and a sense of significance. The Greek physiologist and physician Galen recognized this cycle even in the second century with his reflections on work:
Employment is nature’s physician, and is essential to human happiness.
One of the first goals in your job search should be to equip yourself with the right tools. You will impede your progress without them; you cannot afford to handicap yourself with out-of-date or inferior tools. Unfortunately, the job search is not like golf, where you’re compensated for your lack of skill! You do not want to sabotage your search, and yet many people do by not equipping themselves with the “tools of the trade.”
