Source: BoundlessBard.com
I developed the Authority JourneyTM for personal reasons.
I realized that there was a difference between “taking jobs you enjoy” and “developing your career.” It suddenly hit me that because I hadn’t been strategic about navigating my journey, I was missing opportunities.
But I knew I wasn’t likely the only one who wasn’t paying attention to how they were positioning themselves.
So I set out to map the ideal career trajectory, the steps you’d travel from newbie, straight out of college, to legacy leader at the peak of your career.
What I didn’t expect was the clarity it gave me in my own journey.
As I began talking about this framework and sharing it in the Authority Journey Podcast, I saw clearly why my business growth had stalled. I knew exactly what I needed to do to unlock it.
If you’re looking for your next step, this article is for you. Using the Authority Journey framework, I’m going to show you how to find the thing holding you back, so you can get your personal and professional development back on track.
It’s Not You. We All Get Stuck.
As you advance in your Authority Journey, you’ll achieve mastery and expertise at an uneven rate.
That’s normal. Our brains are only capable of focusing on one new skill at a time. So as we advance in one area, other areas tend to stall out.
Here’s where time becomes an issue. No matter how much you may want to be a Renaissance Man or Woman, we have to set priorities.
And the skills that get prioritized are the ones that lead directly to success.
Everything else fades in importance.
So, for instance, content writers work to refine their writing skills. Social media managers stay up-to-date on platform algorithms. SEOs focus on ranking factors and outreach.
But as we develop expertise, we sometimes create blind spots. We’re so focused on the skills that pay, we ignore the skills that could indirectly help us advance our authority.
These secondary skills get ignored because there’s just not time to mess with them. But they may also be activities you don’t love. So they never get developed.
Trouble is, in some cases, you can’t move forward professionally until you back up and develop those skills. Without them, you can hit a plateau.
When I developed the Authority Journey, I saw the X-Factor as the starting point. It’s the career stage where you’re largely an unknown: You don’t know what you want to do, what your strengths are, or where you’ll land.
As I worked with this framework, though, I realized that there’s no clean break as we leave one stage and move into the next. We can actually straddle two stages as our skills grow and develop.
What’s more, your skills can quickly develop in one area but not in others. Which means you can be an Expert or Leader with unsolved X-Factor areas.
The X-Factor isn’t just the starting point in your Authority Journey. It’s anything that’s holding you back without you knowing it.
It’s a skill or activity that’s necessary for moving forward in your Journey. But you haven’t identified it as a gap, and it’s largely undeveloped.
Now, anytime I consult with someone (an individual or a business) about figuring out their next step, I look for the X-Factor.
In most cases, if you can solve for X and fill the gap, you’ll unlock your forward progress.
Solving for X
We all have X-Factors. These are our weak areas, the skills we don’t develop because they’re not a priority.
But if you’re feeling stuck, it’s time to solve for X.
Here’s how you can find the X-Factor that’s holding you back.
1. Look at the stage you’re trying to step into.
2. Look at what it would take for you to succeed at that level today:
- What new activities would you need to implement?
- What training would you need?
- What relationships would you need to develop?
You may already know what’s needed to uplevel your thinking and activities. If not, no worries. Talk to someone who’s already there or hire a coach.
Let them know what your goals are, and ask them to help.
3. Create a plan to fill those gaps.
Two things will help you make progress: setting the right priorities and taking action.
Try to make forward progress every day. Aim to fill the gaps as quickly as you can. You may be surprised at how quickly you’ll move into the next stage of your Authority Journey.
What’s Your Next Step?
Don’t wait to implement your action plan. Take steps today to get unstuck and start moving forward on your goals.
If you need it, here’s how I can help…
Freelancers and solopreneurs trying to build your business, ask me about 1:1 coaching.
Entrepreneurs and marketers, a good content strategy strengthens your message, builds your brand’s authority, and helps you outrank the competition. Ask me about ongoing consulting and training for your team. Or let me develop a customized content strategy that I can hand off to your team to execute.
Hat tip to Samantha Tidwell of BoundlessBard.com for today’s feature image. Contact her today for custom hero graphics for your content.
