Mr. Stephen’s #Top10 for Challenging The Status Quo

Mr. Stephen’s #Top10 for Challenging The Status Quo
While I am still considered “new” in the field of Education by most people, I have built so much in a very short amount of time, and a huge portion of my success has been possible because of my willingness to take risks and to challenge the systems and practices that are currently in place within my field. I get a lot of questions as to how I have been able to accomplish so much in my short career, so I wanted to write something that would be appropriate for any person in any profession who is passionate about creating change!
Here are my #TOP10 tips for challenging the Status Quo!
Let’s Get it Poppin!

1. Know your STUFF! The single most important step in achieving a high level of success and recognition in any endeavor is to become an expert! In order to do what you need to do, you have to know the ins and the outs. And if what you’re doing requires outside support, you will need to be perceived as competent and knowledgeable by your audience. If you aren’t competent and knowledgeable, people will eventually see it.
2. Know your GOAL  If you feel that change needs to be made at your job site or within your field, and if you are determined to be someone who leads others in the right direction, that is awesome! But if you step into this role with a larger than life attitude and no plans in place to back it up, you’ll not only fail, but you’ll make a fool of yourself. Figure out exactly what it is you want, exactly how you plan to get it, and make sure that any supporters  you might have are aware of the plan and able to help you carry it out.
   
   3.         Follow the ACTUAL rules! There are written laws, rules and regulations in most job settings that all people must follow. It is important to follow them! It might seem cool to be a rebel with a cause --but it won’t be so cool if you get yourself into a legal battle that you won’t win. This is not to say that you can’t challenge the laws, rules, and/or regulations, but make sure that (1) you know your stuff, and (2) that you are taking steps that will get you closer to your goal. In other words, DON’T go breaking rules just to break them! It’ll only get you into trouble and make you seem incompetent and irrational.

4.          IGNORE the non-actual rules! While there ARE official laws, rules, and regulations that you should be aware of and abide by, there are also SO MANY unwritten, unofficial rules that others will try to impose on you throughout your entire career regardless of the field you get into. There will always be individuals who try to tell you what you COULD do, SHOULD do, what NOT to say, etc. Ignore it. As long as you’re following steps 1-3, you should pay no mind to know-it-alls who think that what they say is the right way.
5.       Be CREATIVE and ORGANIZED! Any time you’re working to cause any type of change, it is EXTREMELY important to be CREATIVE! But, as mentioned in tip number 2, you also need a plan. Creative people can often lack organization skills. However, if you are using your creativity to cause change, you MUST be organized as well. You can’t just have great ideas, you have to have the ability to bring those ideas to life, and to do so in a way that will be helpful to your cause!

6.       Be BRAVE! Doing things in a new can be frowned upon in many situations. But if you believe in what you’re doing and if you are passionately invested, then it is important to be brave as well! You have to take risks and try new things and think outside of the box and, eventually, take a wrecking ball to that damn box! And you have to own your actions! Stand tall. Commit to your cause. Don’t back down! All of the greatest leaders have had to make uncomfortable decisions. You add your name to that list!

7.       Be PREPARED for failure! You WILL fail! Oh, how you’ll fail! But, I mean, what do you expect? You’re doing things that have never been done before! For every 100 ideas that you have, maybe 5-10 will actually worth trying. Of every 100 things that you try, maybe 5-10 will be successful. Of every 100 hours that you spend outside of “the box”, there might be 90 hours that you’ll have to count as a loss. It’s what happens anytime you create something new, and it’s definitely something to be prepared for.

8.       Be OKAY with failure! While to some it might feel like failure equals wasted time and energy, to the true innovators and visionaries, failure is opportunity for growth. We NEED to be okay with failure in order to achieve greatness! If you are fine with goodness, that’s absolutely okay too! But greatness requires trial and error --emphasis on the error!


9.       IGNORE THE HATERS! Take it from me: People will hate you! For no good reason. Even if you do amazing things and cause change and make lives better --they will hate you. They will judge you. They will say that you are a rule-breaker, that you don’t know what you’re doing, that you’re disrespectful, arrogant, mean, unprofessional, etc., etc. And these are just the things that my college professors have said about me! Imagine the rest of the world! You CANNOT let this get to you. You turn the other cheek, power on, stay true to yourself, and do what you think you need to do to make the world a better place!

10.       Surround yourself with LOVE! While I definitely have haters, there are SO MANY people who love me and love what I do and believe in my work and my plan and my power. These are the people who I focus on. These are the people who I help and spend time with and invest in. Love is the most powerful force in the entire universe. You should have it. You should share it. You should accept it. You should nurture it, appreciate it, and respect it. Love should not only be what you focus on, but it should also be what drives you.