I Got My Dream Job and So Can You: 7 Steps to Creating Your Ideal Career After College

CHAPTER 9EXCELLENCE(SUCCESS SECRET #2)

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters.”

—COLIN POWELL, FOUR-STAR GENERAL ANDFORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE

June 15, 2008: at Camp Moremi in Botswana

I thought it would be cool to travel as far away from Washington, D.C., as humanly possible. After resigning from my position with the Washington Wizards in May 2008, I negotiated a period of six weeks off before starting my job with my next employer. During this “mini-retirement,” I decided to fulfill a personal dream (those are important, too) to travel to Africa to do a safari.

My solo adventure began with a 14-hour plane ride from Washington, D.C., to Johannesburg, South Africa. Then, I took two ...