Your World View Paradigm

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A paradigm a set of rules and regulations that establishes or defines boundaries of the situation and tells you how to behave inside those boundaries in order to be successful. For example, it is commonly taught that if you want to be financially successful you should:

• get a good education;
• get a good job; and
• work hard.

While it is true that of those households earning more than $75,000 per year, two-thirds are headed by college graduates, in the 1980s the average college graduate earned $32,371 compared to $20,314 for high school graduates (Naisbitt & Aburdene, 1990). Thus, a college education is more likely to lead to a "high average" income rather than financial independence. In addition, recent events herald the end of the "job" as we move towards a more technologically oriented economy (Bridges, 1994).

A study of individuals who have become successful under the relatively unstructured and fast changing conditions of the information age shows that these individuals use a different paradigm. They

• start with a vision, dream, desire, or goal that is associated with success;
• take an inventory of the abilities and assets they have;
• reflect on their temperament or personality characteristics that might be relevant to the marketplace; and
• search for or develop an opportunity that will lead to their dream or vision, given the abilities, temperament and assets.

Bridges (1994) describes this as D.A.T.A. collection. Successful people must then get an education (not necessarily in school) to develop the knowledge, attitudes, skills to take advantage of opportunity and work hard actualize the opportunity. Quite often individuals will not be successful on the first attempt, but must persist and persevere until an opportunity is found or developed that will allow them to achieve their goal. They work hard (make a living 8 to 5; make a fortune after 5) as well as smart (use knowledge, attitudes and skills to select and actualize an excellent opportunity).

In 5 years you will be the same as you are today, except for the books you read, the tapes you listen to, the videos you watch, and the people you meet. What are you doing today to better develop your paradigm of success?

You might want to revisit the material on desired outcomes as you begin to reflect on the qualities and characteristics expected to be developed by successful people in the information age.

References

• Bridges, W. (1994). JobShift. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
• Naisbitt, J., & Adurdene, P. (1990). Megatrends 2000. New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc.

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