A management colleague of mine and a hotelier in Dubai recently posted a famous quote from Jim Rohn: “If you want something, you will find a way, if you don’t, you will find any excuse”. I like this kind of quote. They provide the essence of a simple truth which we can adopt for ourselves and our situations.
Who is Jim Rohn you may ask? Well, Jim Rohn was an influential American businessman who became a millionaire before the age of 31 in the 1960 decade. After becoming a millionaire, he faced bankruptcy. He could have just thrown the towel and given up. Instead, he decided to get back on his feet and he entered the “Self-Improvement business”. The detailed story can be read on
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Rohn
Like so many others, we cannot overlook the fact, that many self-made millionaires faced defeat at one or the other point of their careers. Conrad Hilton for example is not an exception. He also faced serious challenges in growing Hilton Hotels. In the hotel industry, which is – just like show business – protective about its actors it happens just the same way. Most successful hoteliers – not all but most – will go through challenging times at one point in their careers. And very often it has something to do with a decision we take at a time when our career is going extremely well. That is the time when sticking with an original plan pays out big time.
What I find interesting with regards to Jim John is the fact, that he also used to be a mentor of the motivation legend and life coach Anthony Robbins. I was coached by Anthony Robbins in Long Beach and Los Angeles in 1993 and 1994. Anthony’s seminars were expensive, very expensive. The price for 3-day coaching exceeded my monthly paycheck, but I believed, that I deserved it and it would be a very wise investment into my own life and career.
The “Date with Destiny seminar” was worth every penny I paid for and the content and the knowledge have been with me all my life. One of the most important parts of the seminar was about mindset. Today “mindset” is a buzzword you hear on every coaching clip on YouTube, you read in every book, and is often also a conversational piece between people.
However, in the 1990ties speaking of the mindset was not the norm. A mindset, if understood properly, was something very personal and private.
When you begin to look for a clear definition of the word “Mindset” you will be surprised how many different definitions you get. As always, I love clarity and simplicity. So, when taking the word apart it consists of the word mind and the word set. It seems so vastly general that without a specific context, it is meaningless and I fully agree. If you want to set your mind on something you must find the “thing” or the “event” you want to set your mind on: sounds complicated? not really, take a look:
- When I was 16 years old, I set my mind on leaving my home and traveling to see the world.
- After I had left my home, I set my mind on traveling the world and working in the hotel industry.
- Years later, I set my mind on emigrating to the USA and working in a famous hotel.
- During my time in New York, I set my mind on becoming a hotel general manager.
- 3 years ago, after a great career and having seen the world, I set my mind on writing a book.
This is my personal and simple definition of what a Mindset is: Deciding on something you want to do and having a determination to make this decision become reality. No matter what is in my way, no matter what others think or say, no matter what circumstances rule the day.
I recall Henry Ford’s quote daily and is the reason, why it has a prominent page in my book “The Perfect Hotel Career”. “If you think you can do a thing or not, you are right.” My own mind has always been set in the “I can do” mode.
Jim Rohn says: You find your way or an excuse and Henry Ford says no matter what you choose, you will be always right. Both quotes require anyone using them to make a decision. The famous philosopher Ralph Waldo Emmerson said it even better: “A man is what he thinks about all day long.” This makes me believe that Jim Rohn, Henry Ford, and also Anthony Robbins all read this quote somewhere and made it part of their vocabulary.
The bottom line is this: We all are a product of our upbringing and education; of our schooling, teachers, and friends. Later in our formative years, we are shaped mostly by outside influences, the standards of the companies we work for, TV commercials and their messages, and of course by the books we read.
The truth is, that reading is no longer the main source of information. It is social media and so-called “Influencers”, their followers and online opinion exchange mainly on Twitter but more and more also on LinkedIn Learning. From where the opinions come from, if someone has checked the validity and truth of the content seems of no importance. The number of coaches, resume writers, investment gurus, and other specialists are exhilarating at a never-before-seen speed. And nobody critically asks the question: “How do You know?” and nobody checks their competence.
As a mentor and coach, I limit myself to the hotel business and its people. In the hotel business, I am an absolute expert and can teach and coach my clients on how to grow their careers profoundly. I have learned and studied the hotel business from my early years and worked in almost all positions in small and large hotels and on 4 continents. For any hotelier, it is most important to know and identify what they want to be in 5 and 10 years. I think 80% of all hoteliers do not make any real effort to find out what it is, they truly want to achieve, 10 % have some idea and trying to work towards it and only 10% have a very clear idea about it, prepare a plan and invest in reading material, continued education and coaching or mentoring. The 5% have the Mindset to achieve whatever it is they want to achieve. Be it a specific position like F&B Manager or General Manager. Maybe Financial Controller or Executive Housekeeper. No limit to anyone who sets his or her mind on a position, on a certain salary, or on a location he or she wants to work. Those, who have the mindset and the determination to achieve their goal, whatever it is. And they will achieve it! The big question is: Have you set your mind on something?
If you struggle with the answer, if you have only an idea, if you are afraid to commit to something or if you have doubts in your mind about the possibility to achieve your goal, take advantage of my free career call. You can also just write your query in your contact message and I will get back to You.
I can provide expert knowledge and assist, help, and mentor you. It is up to you to reach out and accept a helping hand. I am not one of the many job coaches out there. I am an expert with very specialized knowledge, a global network, and a long history in the hotel industry. I can help you chart a course and find your way in an amazing industry with its many options, and opportunities in a global setting and the shortest time possible.
Make the best out of your career, read my blog and if it feels right, sent me a
I can provide expert knowledge and assist, help, and mentor you. It is up to you to reach out and accept a helping hand. I am not one of the many job coaches out there. I am an expert with very specialized knowledge, a global network, and a long history in the hotel industry. I can help you chart a course and find your way in an amazing industry with its many options, and opportunities in a global setting and the shortest time possible.
Make the best out of your career, read my blog and if it feels right, sent me a message.
I am The Career Hotelier and your helping hand.
Helmut