In business and in life I believe that success is important. I believe that we should always be striving to improve, to increase, to get to the top! As we do those things it allows us to have the things we want from life and to be a blessing to others along the way. I’ve read many times about the ‘journey not the destination’. Though I get it and certainly agree, I have to admit that sometimes that is easier said than done. Sometimes I am so fixated on the goal – the top – that I forget to enjoy and celebrate the accomplishments along the way. Have you ever done that too?
As a part of my health and fitness routine I enjoy running. Sometimes a nice long run, other times an all out sprint workout. I love the pounding of my heart and the burning in my lungs. I know that may sound odd if you’re not a runner, but it just makes me feel alive! My favorite part of running though is HILLS! Nothing is more challenging. Whether I am outside or on the treadmill I always like to run my hills.
This week I was out on a run in beautiful Cologne, Germany. I was there for FIBO – the largest fitness show in the world. If you are in our field and have never been there, I encourage you to go at least once – its incredible. Anyhow, on one of my runs along the Rhine river I found some hills. As I charged up toward the top I had this revelation that successfully running up a steep hill requires the same formula that succeeding in life does!
I realized that it’s all about my FOCUS. I don’t mean not letting my mind wander and ignoring the task at hand – though that is important too. I mean where am I looking with my eyes? If I picked my head up and focussed on the TOP, it seemed very daunting and I started to wonder if I would ever make it. So I decided to look straight down – right in front of my feet. Guess what ? I almost ran off a cliff! However, when I focused my eyes about 5 feet in front of me I didn’t even know I was on the hill. The road still looked flat – and more manageable! I was able to enjoy the view and before I knew it, I reached the top – SUCCESS!
I believe the same is true in life. If our eyes are always focused on the top – the goal, it can seem a lifetime away. It can seem like its unattainable and this will cause many people to quit! We will also miss so many of the beautiful things we could have seen along the way. If we look straight down at just where we are today, we have no vision. We have no plan and like on my run – we might just run off a cliff!
However, if we can learn to set our goal – whatever our mountaintop is – and can focus on the attainable future (that preverbal 5 feet in front of us) we can get there. It allows us to make the ultimate goal more manageable. It allows us to enjoy the view along the way and it allows us to celebrate the smaller accomplishments that will ultimately make up our bigger success!
Thanks for reading along! I appreciate your attention and would love to hear your comments. As for me – I’m off for a run! Let’s make this an awesome week!
