When people talk about life changing moments, what they don’t say is that those moments can come at the most unexpected and innocent times. My moment came while watching Dora The Explorer with a 6-year-old; who knew that something so elementary (literally) would have such a huge impact on my way of thinking?
Focus on the end goal and use the strengths of each of your team members to help you succeed.
In each episode, Dora is accompanied by her friend monkey Boots, to overcome any hurdles in order to reach their final destination. Combining Dora’s courageous personality with Boot’s persistence to succeed creates the foundation of great teamwork. Let’s face it, whether you are in college or working in your career, you will have to work with a group to finish a project. If each person focuses on their intellectual strengths while keeping the end goal in mind, collaborating will be much easier. Next time you’re in a group, ask your team members what they are good at, and split the work accordingly. But make sure to discuss ideas together; this can lead to a new result that can affect your team positively.
Constantly use your resources and network to move forward.
Dora is a gregarious character; everywhere she goes, she finds a friend that usually assists her with conflicts. Similar to Dora, the real world is no different; friends and colleagues can help in sticky situations. That is why it is important to network and use the resources efficiently to help you move forward. If you find yourself in a rut, try googling the problem or asking a friend in that field. You never know what or who you will find within your network that faced the same problem.
Each challenge you overcome builds endurance for the next challenge.
Dora is faced with a bunch of challenges each episode and doesn’t let the challenges break her, and neither should you. Face each challenge head on; this will build your strength for greater challenges that you will face down the line.
So, the next time you are thinking about quitting ask yourself, “What would Dora do?”