Imagine It's a Mountain With No Top.....
I'm sure you will have read the recent news about Sir Ranulph Fiennes' amazing achievement. At the age of 65, he's successfully climbed Mount Everest. Not to mention already having been the first person to cross both the North and South Poles!
You've got to admire his sheer determination - and, if you're like me, you can't help feeling a little sheepish about how often you've given something up just because it seemed too difficult.
So it's worth listening to what he said about his achievement:
"Forget about thinking you are going to succeed. You have just got to keep plodding. Imagine it's a mountain with no top."
Can we apply his advice to our (rather less daunting) challenges? I think we can.
Lesson 1: Know What Direction You're Going In
You can easily misinterpret what Ranulph Fiennes is saying here. Although he put the destination out of his mind, he's still very clear about the direction in which he's going. He knows exactly what he wants to achieve. So although he thought only about putting one foot in front of the other, he always put that foot in a place which moved him nearer his goal.
It's just the same when you've set yourself a goal for your business. Before you start, you have to be very clear about your destination. Then you can turn your attention to each small step, knowing they will get you nearer your goal.
Lesson 2: Start With The First Step
The second lesson is not to be overwhelmed by the size of a task. If you think about everything you have to do it's all too easy to give up before you start.
Do what Sir Ranulph Fiennes did. Climbing to the top of Everest is a huge task - but he didn't worry about that. He simply took that first step.
So when you're about to start a big project, don't worry about all those things you've yet to do. Just take the first action - the first step - and then you're on your way.
Lesson 3: Keep Plodding
The third lesson we can learn is to persist - to keep plodding. In large projects, there will be times when you don't seem to be making much difference - and this can be disheartening.
Let me give you an example from my own experience.
I once lived in Southend-on-Sea, which has a pier that's over a mile long - and, of course, dead straight. Sometimes, I'd take a walk from the promenade right to the far end. For the first few minutes, the shore receded very quickly, so I felt as if I was making good progress. And when I was near the end, I could see my destination approaching rapidly, so that was rewarding as well.
But in between, there was a long time when the shore didn't seem to get much further away, and the end didn't seem to get any nearer. And that's when you have to concentrate on plodding - not on your destination.
It can be the same when you're making changes at work. Sometimes, you won't see any progress. But, provided you keep taking those small steps, you can be sure you'll get there. You just need to persist, even when you're not getting much reward for your effort. And then suddenly - almost without noticing - you'll arrive at your destination!
So even if you never get round to climbing Mount Everest, you can still benefit from what Sir Ranulph said. Just remember these three lessons:
× know what direction you're going in
× everything starts with a single step
× and persist - keep plodding.
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