Finally!!

Here in Austria the hiking season has started in earnest. The massive amounts of snow we had during the winter have at last cleared most of the higher up trails, which means we can finally hike high up above the tree line again.

I love hiking up there!

Concentrate on your own pace and surroundings

To get there though I really have to concentrate on both my pace and my immediate surroundings. Letting my breathing determine my tempo and consciously noting many of the small details that nature has on offer.

When I pay too much attention to what someone else is doing or what is happening further away, I find I go either to fast and burn out long before I get to the summit or I take wrong turns, possibly ending up somewhere completely different from where I actually wanted to go.

When you don’t use your own vision as your map, you run the risk of finding you’re moving towards a vision for someone else’s life or business.

Not unlike what can happen in life, business or both, when we pay too much attention to what others are doing in theirs.

Instead of following your own inner compass, you decide what to do by looking at what everyone else is doing. You don’t use your vision as your map/GPS but let others guide you. And in doing so, run the risk of realising too late they were guiding you away from your own vision towards the vision they hold for their life or business.

Expansive views and different perspectives

Once above the tree line expansive views and different perspectives on the valley below are added into the mix.

As I move up the mountains every turn in the trail offers up a fresh perspective on life in the valley below. Once at the summit I get rewarded with a 360° view of the surrounding mountains. On top of that summit I often discover other mountains that present me with new challenges as I add them to my list of mountains-still-to-climb.

Again, it’s easy to draw comparisons with life and business.

By stepping back from the grind of everyday life and business you can look at it from different perspectives. Suddenly you can see not just what’s going on but also fresh solutions for old problems and even entirely new possibilities.

Clear the mind. Re-ignite the vision.

I realise you may not be as fortunate as I am to be living among mountains. Having said that, it’s still possible to step back and look at your life, business or both from different perspectives.

Just stepping away from your desk to go into nature for a walk as short an hour can give you enough inspiration for an entire day or more. Certainly more than you would have had, had you decided to stick it out behind your laptop or in the next meeting.

So when next you find yourself stuck in the groundhog day monotony of everyday life, business or both, give yourself a break and step outside.

Find yourself a bit of nature and slow down for an hour or so. Pay attention to your pace and notice the small details in your immediate surroundings.

You’ll be surprised how productive that ‘unproductive’ hour will turn out to be!

As always …

Go dare greatly

Gerdi