November 7, 2009 14 Comments

Accelerate at the Crossroads

crossroads I see brakes everywhere. Racing towards what we could do with all these amazing tools, these powerful collaboration services, these openers of doors, I see people jamming their brakes and looking around in all directions. When you see the crossroads, step on it.

What will happen? You could lose control. You might crash. You might smash into someone doing the same thing going the other way.

Or you could make it through unscathed, exhilarated, and ready to race into what’s next.

Every move I made with my own career can be summed up by stepping on it when I saw the crossroads coming. Sometimes, I skidded off the road. Sometimes, I made a wrong turn (don’t ask Kat about how OFTEN I make wrong turns). But all in all, it’s worked well as a tactic.

I dunno. The alternative to stepping on it is to jam the brakes.

photo credit emio me

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  • http://www.converstations.com MikeSansone

    Well, when you slam on the brakes — you might as well buy a ticket to your own wreck. Punch it!

  • http://www.sigmacreativeonline.com Christian Adams

    No matter how you say it, do the opposite of what your competitors are doing. Those who hesitate are doomed to fail and sometimes taking mitigated risks sometimes require leaps of faith.

  • http://smartboydesigns.com/ Christian Hollingsworth

    Jamming on the brakes is a sign of insecurity. Take control – have fun – and blow through the corners.

    Great thoughts,
    Christian

  • http://damiansaunders.net Damian Saunders

    I see two things here, one, slamming on the breaks when standing at the crossroads and two, probably quite significant, not pushing the accelerator in the first place.
    As far a business is concerned these social media tools are astounding. For many of us, myself included, they have provided a means by which the whole paradigm of work, life, and prosperity, has changed completely for the better.
    But I also believe that these Social Media tools have a amazing potential to bring about significant sociopolitical change, maybe on a scale not seen since the hippy movement of the 1960's. For once in history we have a means of communication and dissemination of information that is two way, and reasonably independent of traditional, and controlled media. The question that prevents standing on the accelerator in this context is; is this the time for it, and what happens if I stick my neck out?

  • http://www.dougmcisaac.com dougmcisaac

    I agree, to be successful you need to be willing to accelerate into the crossroads and accept the fact that now and then you will crash. The majority of successful entrepreneurs have experienced failures in their lives, but don't allow that to keep them from stepping on the gas when they see a crossroad ahead.

    The ones that allow one or two crashes to make them slam on the brakes are never truly successful.

    Doug

  • http://www.camerynmoore.com/ Cameryn Moore, Phone Whore

    I'm still learning my way, as a performer/promoter, around the social networks, but as a general principle, accelerating at the crossroads definitely works for me. All remaining things being equal, I will put the pedal to the metal, aim for the outlet/opportunity that is open, and VROOM!

    I have frequently found the accelerator to be the natural follow-through for my bulldozer approach: when I feel blocked by fear or anxiety, I just take a deep breath and plow through the wall (“fake it 'til you make it”). Now, that method could result in the metaphorical razing of perfectly appropriate sound barriers and a few houses owned by sweet old ladies in an unsuspecting village, but most of the time, I emerge blinking from the dust to find a wide open highway, or an intersection of interesting possibilities. What then? Accelerate!

  • http://www.zoombits.co.uk/christmas-gifts gift ideas

    Yeah it crappy quirks did make it kind of cool. I did enjoy the flame shooting bit. Every morning on my way to school I would go by my brother and his friends waiting for the school bust. I figured exactly when to stomp the accelerate to make backfire and shoot flames just as I went by them. Watching them jump was hilarious. On the other hand the morning that I was driving him to school and the breaks failed was simply terrifying

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    But I also believe that these Social Media tools have a amazing potential to bring about significant sociopolitical change, maybe on a scale not seen since the hippy movement of the 1960's.But as the impeccability of the social networking is increasing the user are also increasing.

  • modem

    What i believe is the person should break his accelerator at the crossroads as well as the turning point of career. Because the breaks are necessary to break the speed. And i love the title of this post.

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  • modem

    What i believe is the person should break his accelerator at the crossroads as well as the turning point of career. Because the breaks are necessary to break the speed. And i love the title of this post.

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    For me I bust my brother and his school friends waiting for school every morning on the way to go. When I actually thought to stomp the fire to make the vomiting and shoot them just as I went to accelerate. Was hilarious watching them jump. On the other hand the morning I was driving and failing to break her school bus was awesome

  • http://www.yuregininsesi.com yuregininsesi

    Yeah it crappy quirks did make it kind of cool. I did enjoy the flame shooting bit. Every morning on my way to school I would go by my brother and his friends waiting for the school bust. I figured exactly when to stomp the accelerate to make backfire and shoot flames just as I went by them. Watching them jump was hilarious. On the other hand the morning that I was driving him to school and the breaks failed was simply terrifying

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    When I actually thought to stomp the fire to make the vomiting and shoot them just as I went to accelerate. Was hilarious watching them jump.