Have a look at this video;
This was a first time marathon runner training in good weather and bad to achieve a goal considered by many to be unattainable. And as events unfolded, fate dealt one cruel hand after another. Initially some historic muscular/skeletal issues laid waste to the training regime but this was nothing compared to the injury that left her on crutches and unable to run until just before the event. However, she not only took park in the Virgin London Marathon, but made it round the course. And posted a respectable time in the process!
True grit and determination are among the qualities that set high achievers apart from also-rans.
This story got me thinking about life and business – we’ve all heard the ‘life is a marathon not a sprint’ analogy – and how circumstances can conspire to de-rail our plans and aspirations.
I think it’s fair to say that success, for most of us anyway, does not happen easily. Or by chance. More often that not, success comes from working hard, smart and to a plan.
Sure, sometimes we get lucky, we hit on an emerging trend at just the right time, attract an investor seemingly from nowhere or manage some other fluke. Of course, there are those that say that you make your own luck. I’d certainly subscribe to the view that the harder I work, the luckier I get!
But how many of us constantly strive to improve, to train, in the way that a marathon runner or any high performance athlete or team does? This may sound crazy, but seriously, top performers in the sports arena train or practice for hours at a time, often several times a day. Every facet of their game, stride or stroke is examined in excruciating detail on a regular basis.
How many of us apply this type of scrutiny to our business activities? And how many of us would benefit if we did? Would it be comfortable? Maybe not. But running 10 miles and jumping into an ice bath isn’t too comfy either. But it works!
How many of us lose sight of our goals when an event or crisis occurs that sucks in resource? Or an opportunity presents itself and we enthusiastically chase it whilst the existing business plan withers in a drawer somewhere?
I’ll let you into a secret. My business partner and I have had to take some of our own medicine. We had begun to chase opportunities we knew were out of scope but were exciting for a variety of reasons. We spread ourselves thin, lost focus on some critical priorities and wore ourselves out in doing so. Fortunately, we independently realised this at the same time. A crisis was averted. We pared down our focus to the essentials and ACQUIRE achieved more success more quickly because of it.
ACQUIRE continues to invest in our ourselves and to this end some of our staff will shortly be attending a 2 day training course to gain new insights and skills in areas where we are already considered experts. You read that correctly. We’re already experts but we’re attending additional training. Why? Because we believe it’s vital to continue to hone our skills and invest in our team and business. And in turn we pass this on to our customers!
When I think of Joanna and her trials and tribulations in preparing for her first marathon, I can’t help but conclude that more businesses should take a leaf out of her book. A bit more grit, determination, intense focus, rigorous training, striving for improvement, investing in herself through professional support (sports physio, gait analsys, specialist shoes) and most importantly, seeing the job through the the end, per the original plan, come what may.
Delivering success.
Surely that’s why we do it?
If you want to discuss how your business or career can take the high performance route, contact us at your earliest convenience.
As ever, thanks for stopping by.
PS – For more information about Joanna’s inspirational marathon success against the odds, please visit here at www.joannasayers.com. You might even be moved to sponsor her.
