Last week more than 2000 elite triathletes raced in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, the culmination of a journey that for many was a life-long goal to compete in that race of races. Over the last couple of weeks I have been writing about how these athletes share some of the same traits as successful people everywhere who set long-term goals, including the following:
THEY LEARN TO BECOME INTUITIVE TO WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT, AND THEY CONTINUALLY REFINE THEIR APPROACH UNTIL THEY ACHIEVE WHAT THEY WANT
In prior posts, I've written about the importance of believing that anything is possible; of commitment, perseverance and discipline; and of dedicating yourself to the achievement of your dreams. But equally important is setting aside time to review your progress, to get input from others and to learn what you are doing right as well as what needs to change to reach your goals.
We all live crazy busy lives - who has time to step back and gain perspective on what you are doing? When we set a long-term goal - whether it is personal or professional - we acknowledge there will be high and low points, grand successes and soul-crushing failures, times for self-congratulation as well as deep moments of doubt along the way. So how do we step back, learn and smooth the path forward?
During a year-long training plan for Ironman there are times when my feet seem to fly under me - running faster, longer and seemingly without effort. And then there are other times when I feel so slow, listless and heavy in a pool workout that I wonder if someone has tied giant sandbags to my legs and arms - the other side of the pool seems miles away. I've learned to use these times to reflect on what's going on - what can I learn about this time, what should I be doing differently? Is it my attitude, my environment, my capabilities? Has this happened before and what did I learn from this last time?
When you are in midst of moments like these, think of how you can take advantage of them to guide and inform your way forward. Building self-awareness and knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses, your capabilities and vulnerabilities, is part of the journey to success. In a business setting, it is becoming more aware of how you are performing, of how people around you are responding and how you are leading and engaging them in your plans and goals. A colleague of mine calls it "Being vs. Doing" time.
Employ your own intuition, get input from others who see what you do not; regroup, reset and refine your approach and thinking to keep on track to reach your goals.
