Reaching the Top

I recently hiked in Arches National Park in Utah. It was 102-degree Fahrenheit with only 7% humidity. An energy sucking, dry heat unlike what many people are used to experiencing.

One highlight of this trip was the climb to Utah’s iconic Delicate Arch.

As the sun pounded down it drained both energy and spirits. Having visited the Arch before, the vision of arriving at that magnificent mark fueled my trek. My Brazilian friend, Pacall, was visiting the National Park for the first time. He’d seen pictures of the Arch and wanted to see it in person.

Arriving at the top of the trail and beholding the beautiful Delicate Arch made the journal worth it – both in seeing the massive Arch and in defeating the brutal conditions required to do so.

Success in our personal lives and careers also takes a vision of what the “Top” of the journal will look like and a passion for getting there. While challenges and obstacles may line our path – an eye single to reaching the top will drive our ability to overcome.

Close your eyes – envision YOU succeeding and reaching the top.

Now open your eyes and take the first steps forward to making it happen!

 

(In full disclose – this is a picture of me and Pacall, but at another arch, not Delicate Arch. But I think it’s a cool pic. Haha)  

 

Elevating Over the Hurdles

The Olympics ended a couple weeks ago, but I have one last Olympic analogy. Hurdles! Watching an athlete leap hurdles with blurring speed, intensity and poise is amazing to see.

In track and field, if you slow down you will lack the speed and energy to launch over the hurdle. If you ignore the hurdle you’ll crash through it (most likely cause personal harm). Attempting to go around it will actually take longer (not to mention disqualify you). Attacking the hurdle head on and swiftly propelling yourself over it is a quicker, more effective way to clear the hurdle and put it behind you.

Marketing, sales and business in general is full of challenges and obstacles to overcome. These challenges are the hurdles that must be overcome to ensure long term success. Often executives, managers and employees fear hurdles; sometimes slowing down and approaching with caution unsure what to do, other times ignoring the existence of hurdles blocking the path ahead, and often attempting to bypass them all together.

Business hurdles can be approached with the same strategy as track and field hurdles. Hurdles and challenges will always be there. The best form of assault is to acknowledge and engage them straight on, soaring over the obstacles and being prepared for the next one. Human nature creates a sense of fear and uncertainty when a problem or hurdle is perceived to be approaching. It takes discipline and training to embrace the challenges.

Success is not easy to achieve, but failure is not an option. The swiftest path to success is to embrace the hurdles, plan for them and elevate over them with ferocious velocity all the while driving towards the finish line.