Conquer the Hill: A strategy to overcome any obstacle
So why do so many businesses fail? Why do leaders struggle in overcoming some of their biggest obstacles?
Because at times we all simply forgot how to conquer the hill!
See, I have been a runner off and on for some years now. Thankfully, I have been able to stay pretty consistent with it over the last 2 years. Once I became a regular runner, I knew I needed to learn how to run hills properly. I don’t live in San Francisco by any means but we do have our share of hills in my area of the country. What I learned was put my head down, lean forward, pump my arms, and lessen my stride (to conserve my energy). Learning those techniques made all the difference in the world in my ability.
Every now and then, we look at an obstacle and see how big it is and how overwhelming it is. It’s the same way I used to look at some of the crazy hills on my running routes. I would wonder how in the world am I going to do this?
When I first started my business, I was so excited, making so much progress, and the sky was the limit. Then one night I became so overwhelmed, I almost had a panic attack. It was too much. How was it going to work? Then all of I sudden I remembered, I took my eyes off of my strategy and what was working. All I could see was the big monstrous hill (my vision) in front of me that seemed too big for me to even attempt. Then I remembered, stay focus, you know how to conquer the hill!!
Whenever you get too intimidated by a problem that seems too big…
Put Your Head Down! – Focus on the tasks in front you. The Law of the Picture in John Maxwell’s 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership tells us, “Great leaders always seem to embody two seemingly disparate qualities. They are both highly visionary and highly practical”.
Pump Your Arms! – You have to KEEP MOVING!!! And the only way to keep momentum is to pump your arms. At times we get paralyzed by the magnitude of what we face but remember to take action.
Lessen Your Stride! (to conserve your energy) – Yes, we need to pump are arms so that we can keep moving. But we also need the energy and stamina to endure to the end. Whether it’s a big vision, business issue, or a leadership dilemma, pace yourself. You will not be able to resolve it overnight. Be mindful, prioritize, and take strategic steps.
Lean Forward! – If you haven’t noticed, runners lean forward on hills to fight gravity and the added 20lbs of weight they feel from the force of it. It’s the same way we need to lean into whatever issues we are facing. If we don’t, we feel the extra weight of not seeing any forward movement at all.
I don’t know what obstacle you’re facing right now or even which ones you will face. But I encourage to take your eyes off of the magnitude of the problem and conquer the hill. Stay focused. Work your plan. And Keep Going!
About the author
Melissa Nixon is a Featured writer with the John Maxwell team Blog.
She has over 15+ years as an HR and Organizational Development leader.
She is the founder of RedRoxx, LLC, a leadership and personal development company that teaches leaders how to maximize their individual, team, and business performance.
As a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, speaker, and trainer, she also coaches and trains women leaders and entrepreneurs who aspire to grow and achieve more harmony between their professional and personal lives.
Contact Melissa at http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/melissanixon/