career management

The Danger of Someday

I’ll bet you 5 million dollars that you’ve heard some variation of the phrase

 

“We should have lunch sometime.”

 

Its other forms include: ”We should get together sometime,” and “Someday, I’d like to ______.”

But if you are a job seeker or a smart professional who actually cares about your career, you’ll never again utter the word “someday.” Danger lurks very near to that word and thanks to Tom Cruise’s character in the movie Knight and Day, I’ve learned that “someday is really just code for never.”

The solution:

If you’re truly serious about this whole “networking” thing, convert someday into an actual date. The next time you’re even remotely close to forgetting my wise words, just break out your smartphone calendar and simply pick a date. The conversation could go something like this:

You: We should have lunch sometime.

Them: Yeah, that sounds great!

You: Awesome! How does next Thursday look on your end. I’d love to get it scheduled, otherwise it may not happen.

Let’s start pushing ourselves to exit our business card graveyards (you know, the collection of business cards you’ve been building to show off how many awesome people you meet, but never actually plan to follow up with). And let’s begin the amazing journey of following up for real and building genuine relationships that will benefit you both for many years to come. How do you move past someday in your new/budding relationships?

Hint: This strategy is also super useful for your own personal goals, once you put a date on something it’s more likely to happen and you’re more likely to stay focused on it. #KeepPushing.