A lot of us know the story of David and Goliath. The one seemingly regular guy taking down a supreme and much bigger warrior. People often use this story as a reference for an underdog type of situation. One understated and often unheard of fact is that David might have been a regular guy. However, he was well trained. No, he did not prepare as other soldiers did. Also, his training wasn’t intentional (to him) or glamorous as some of us want our career development to be.

First, let me explain right now you could be in the career wilderness. You could feel stagnant, and that progression is not near. But what if your current situation was preparing you for your “Goliath” moment. Well, that’s what happened to David. Before he could become a king, he had to work and train as a shepherd. A stone in the hands of an amateur won’t do much damage, but in skilled hands, it can take down giants. As a shepherd that was one of his weapons, he used to take down any animal or enemy that would try to hurt his cattle. His training started by himself in a field, not in a castle.

Your current position may be like that of David’s as a shepherd, nothing special, not high visibility, or not on top of the career ladder. That would be a matter of perception and your personal perspective. The question you should be asking yourself is, are you skilled with your “stones”? Are you too busy gazing at the office in the castle rather than appreciating where you are currently? The worst thing that can happen is to get promoted or get the job you want before you are ready. That can lead to a crucial downhill slide and can take even longer to recover from.

There are two essential factors of training for your Goliath moment. First, you will not only have one, but you will also have many. Some will come be simultaneous, some may come right after the other or spread apart, but they will come. Each time your skills and training will need to come through for you. Second, like David, there is no guarantee you will be exalted after your triumph. David did not become king afterward he went back to the fields. Progress is not something you determine, but you will always need to be ready for it. Imagine facing a very troublesome moment without the proper training.

I am here to let you know that being where you are currently is very significant.  You matter and so does your development, but only you oversee that. Focus on getting the most out of your current situation. Take care of all the small things first. Ask questions, ask for more significant projects and if told no ask again. If you continue to be the great shepherd that you have been your castle will come. If you are not a great shepherd of your current situation, then you need to go there. You must be consistent in good deeds but patience in waiting for public progress.  Do not wait for the perfect situation, do everything you possibly can now. David was no underdog he was trained.

Do not fixate on where you could be, just blossom where you are!