9/12/2024-On This Day, Mae Jemison

You have heard it a thousand times… *you can be anything you want to be….if you put in the work". Great. But it takes an initial boost to start defining that dream.

On this day in 1992, astronaut Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to fly in space as a member of the Spacelab mission.

When Jemison told a kindergarten teacher she wanted to be a scientist when she grew up, the teacher assumed she meant she wanted to be a nurse. (Gulp.)

Why is this important to you, high-flying sales pro?

If, in 1992, Mae could figure out how to get into space, you can do anything.

Think big…ger.

Today, locate that dream that’s been stuffed away in your brain and reintroduce yourself to it. ("Hello, dream, nice to see you again. No, I’m not mad at you, I’ve just been busy!")

Edit and refine your dream so there’s a clean and clear picture of what the ideal looks like.

Does your dream include you as the CRO of a one bazillion dollar company? Or, are you the CEO of a small firm that has your name on it?

Even if you only move your dream rock up the hill by an inch, you’ll feel great working on it today.

Mae Jemison knew exactly what her dream was from the beginning. For others – perhaps you – it might take time and thought to define what it means to be a… (fill in the blank).

Wanna publish a book? Wanna hike the Pacific Crest Trail…alone? Or, after your impressive current run as a sales stud, do you wanna be a CRO?

It’s all there for you. But you first need to define your destiny and then chart the plan.

Yeah, yeah…you know all this… but are you doing it?

Don’t feel sheepish if you’re not progressing against your ideal at a rate that satisfies you. The good news is today is your chance to work at it.

Maybe these guideposts can help you:

1. What do you want to be when you grow up? (ha) Seriously…what’s your dream? What’s an ideal position – literally and figuratively – that excites you to attain? AND, what dreams do you have outside of your professional life?
2. What does the plan to get there look like? (Generally, at the least.)
3. Who can help you? You’re gonna need help. And that’s where you may want to start.

Today, contact one or two folks who you think have figured it out and when you meet, pick their brains on their journey. At the least, that will prime the pump and move you.

"I picked up the phone, called down to the Johnson Space Center, and said, ‘I would like an application to be an astronaut.’ And they didn’t laugh."

That simple anecdote from Mae in this charming video clip reveals a whole lot, eh?

Hopefully, Mae’s early dreams of being an astronaut will inspire you to act upon your dream.