Challenges are a part of life and business. All too often we make small challenges and minuscule issues bigger than they need to be. It’s much more important to keep our minds on the bigger picture and not allow our daily irritations to slow down our forward progress. Back in 2005, my wife, Christina and I made the decision to attempt to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Well actually my wife decided that she wanted to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and I thought it would be a good idea to go with her to make sure she makes it to the top safely. All in all it was a risky joint venture.
It was a risky venture mainly because we had three young children at the time and travelling half way around the world to climb the worlds largest free standing mountain was not a very practical thing to do. Nevertheless, we made the decision and commitment to see this project through. This decision added another 100 tasks on our to do list. But add them we did!
Life for me was extremely busy at the time, I had 4 companies operating in the Netherlands and 1 in the UK. I was in the throes of making a decision to scale back my executive duties and spend more time with my growing family. Christina was just entering a new phase in her life. Our youngest son, Cruz was just entering kindergarten and didn’t need 100% of her time anymore, at least in theory.
The climb to the summit of this mountain, nearly 20,000 ft high, is more a mental game than a physical one. Sure it takes everything you have physically, but it saps you mentally even more. I believe you have to make the decision to reach the top before you start climbing, otherwise, it’s too easy to start making excuses when height sickness eventually kicks in.
Your business will suffer if you don’t think strategically about how you will reach the top of your market. You and your people will not have the stamina or will power to see the project through if you’re not discussing and executing the finer details. Whose motivated to tackle the top 100 things that must be done in order to make your latest project a success? It often takes much more effort, resources and mental power to push through the obstacles than you originally thought. Yet on those occasions when your passion, will power, intensity and well thought out plans meet with the market at the right time you’ll be able to reap the rewards and enjoy the buzz of making it to the top!
What an unbelievable feeling it is to conquer your mental uncertainty’s – set a goal and take the necessary precautions and preparations. Do everything you can to support your project and then take the plunge; push through with all your energy and a positive mental attitude. and get that amazing result. An unforgettable view from the top of the world.
SEE YOU AT THE TOP!!
Dominic Kotarski
