There are many people in this world who would rather do time than to update the Apps on their tablet or smartphone. The conspiracy theorist in many of us feel if we elect to hit the Update All button, life as we know it will all come crashing down…and they couldn’t be more right. We may be dogmatic in working to protect our personal lives, but when it comes to our professional lives, we long for comfort and convenience. We feel we’ve worked hard to arrive where we are today-we fought deficiencies, depressions, and dysfunction for many years and feel we deserve the right of passage to be satisfied with our accolades. Our low tire indicator keeps appearing on our dashboard of life alerting us that one of the wheels responsible for our success is leaking. As our complacency mounts, we elect to air up the tire, doing only what is necessary to restore our sense of normalcy instead of discovering the root cause of the leak. As we speed down the Autobahn of life, the leaking tire finally gives way-intertwining a massive pileup in both our personal and professional lives.

Life constantly throws app updates our way, yet we ignorantly choose to ignore them. We are j****** up our lives-our fear is stealing life’s custom-made opportunities, all because we dread change. Bertolt Brecht said, “Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.” You will only be given so many chances to update the apps of your career before your operating system crashes. Choose or be chosen.

• Security: Your app has to be updated regularly to maintain safety and security. Malicious viruses of negativity and pessimism, bugs of boredom and complacency gradually creep in. Left undetected, your system can      crash-causing your career to “suddenly” fail. Build firewalls around your career by feeding yourself a buffet of positive information. Build your career having the faith of knowing why you can, not why someone thinks you cannot. Selling is built around rejection, which is why it can be lucrative. You must feel the pain of rejection to receive the gain of prosperity. Renew your mind each day; selling is an industry where it both forgives yesterday’s downfalls yet grants the grace of new beginnings tomorrow.  With such a disproportionate amount of failures, draw from the lessons of each encounter. Don’t get entrapped in why you had the misfortune, instead ask how can you can learn from the lesson so as not miss fortune the next time around. Experience can be a  great teacher, if you’ll let it.
   
  
• Performance: Your app has to be updated regularly for optimal performance. Thanks to technology, our industry is moving forward at breakneck speed. Customers have options and demand more professionalism and knowledge from our industry than ever before. With fewer incentives, more choices, and greater technological advances, you’re app has to be up to date with distinct advantages your products offer versus your competitors’. School  is never out. Don’t be lazy in learning; the price of self-education is cheap compared to the cost of ignorance.  App updates are generally done quickly-update yours by stealing pockets of opportunity-a few minutes while standing in line at Subway or 45 minutes while waiting in the E.R. after your nail gun incident. Instead of seeing what everyone else is doing in the social media-sphere, update your app with something that will be useful in advancing your career.
   
  
• Aesthetics: In addition to performance, your app has to be aesthetically updated. Corporations get an image facelift by updating their buildings and logos. In order to remain competitive, manufacturers update some models and cancel others deemed unprofitable-what say you?  What model of Me-hicle are your rolling around in? How do you view yourself- as bucket or a ‘Benz? Toss the dress shirts that are cuffed because they are too short; buy a new pair(s) of dress shoes and ditch the ones whose disintegrating soles sound like sandals flip flopping across the showroom floor; leave the Iron-man decathlon watch for the treadmill and buy a nice dress watch for work. Think of each day as dress as rehearsal for your future. You have to look the part you are auditioning for.

Life is always throwing sliders, curves, and fastballs our way. Some days we get a base hit while others we will strike out. But be assured you will never hit a grand slam in life while sitting in the dugout. Yes, there's an app for that...you're on deck.

I’ll see you next time on the Blacktop.