Planning my growth path - not a straight line

I do have a professional growth mindset. I like to keep a close eye on my potential next set of skills needed or roles. As I ideate on this, I do feel a little bit career lost. I am far from my destination and don’t see a direct growth path. Or, the path I see is a long way ahead, leaving me to carve out the right, short, path.

Ideally, I would need to learn to influence better/more, and to do some “direct management, hiring and growing people”. I am building my trusted group, people who know and trust me enough to give me new opportunities to grow into.

At all times, my excitement and enthusiasm is for taking on shiny things should be balanced with the success I achieve on the rough diamond that I am working on shining. My current plan is to continue trying what I am doing for a few more months and reevaluating this in Dec/Jan.

Big picture, taking shots is important although they may not always land. Word of mouth, top of mind recall and making explicit asks are the things I will try first. These are valuable only if I am known to deliver, well.

One of my favorite quotes of recent times: It is not the critic who counts;… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,…who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daringly greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.