I am a believer! I checked out the films today on IMAX, and find “The Climb of Everest”. I am going. I must go. I must learn from those who teach, leaders who inspire and people who have gone before.
I called yesterday to talk to a dear friend, mentor, about her learning as an athlete. She is so wise and offered a story. She did a thesis comparing how far people climb to their highest and best with no support and no external stimuli – just self talk and sheer will power and physical endurance. While remarkable – the comparison group had supporters shouting encouragement, visual stimuli marking distance and competition against time, “Just a few more steps” becomes the mantra. They pushed through success at more than 20%.
I talked to my partner, history in sports teams and asked questions about what I need to learn about teamwork, and who am I on the team? What are my skills and talents and how do I best use them? What can I get from my team and who do I need to seek out as key players. We used two analogies, the marathon runner and the football team. He is wise and experienced in both.
Football —- I was delighted to know that I would be a Quarterback! What little of football that I know, tells me this is a key position. If I am to be the best, I need to study the role and skills and motivations of a quarterback. I need to be able to read the plays, know the field, become familiar with the strengths and challenges of my team mates. I need to get yards, by getting inches. I need to only have one point more to win. Sometimes one inch to get the yard to get the win.
Conditioning is key to getting the whole team ready. Practice the skills. Learn the plays no matter what the conditions. How to adapt to changes in environment. Not to count on the strong players or the condition of the field to be constant. Expect and welcome change and know the plays for all the situations. Be able to count on flexibility. Be familiar with the equipment, not just mine but everyone’s. People will sustain injuries.
THE WALL of limitations. The key to success is to adapt daily actions repeated and consistent over time to move the wall of limitations further away. With a runner, it is a “mental” race. At some point you will be required to push through that wall of limitations. Extensive conditioning of the mind, mantras of success, visualization of achieving the goal – the more they are practiced and become the daily mindset, the more sheer energy will propel you through that wall. Prepare for the wall. Have strategies to deal with the wall. Create a “chant” to tell the body what to do. “push push push, reach reach reach”. “Go further, you can do it” must become automatic and already part of the brain speech. The force of will wins the race. The 4 minute mile. The climb of Everest.
Clearly defined often stated goals. Simple mission statements. “I am going to finish this race”. I will achieve the top 3% and reach my highest and best.
As quarterback, I inspire others to take their inches, to get the team yards to win the important games. We won’t win all the games, we don’t have to. We have to practice by losing so we can win the RIGHT games that are strategic and important ones. Don’t always use your best plays and your best players. Talent and confidence is needed for all team players to pull together as a team. Put all players in each spot and support them to do what they can for the team. Develop those confident players so when the eventual injuries, quitting, or other things happen – the team is strong and will all still have the confidence to win and get over the wall. Keep training the new ones, build their confidence, explore their talents and inspire their highest and best. Rotate people so they can play each others roles, always have something to reach for.
I will seek out my daughter who coaches teams, my brother who coaches teams and Robyn and Terry to tell me about world class athletes and their strategies and success formulas. I will talk with Realtors and Travel Agents, learn their habits and seek to do what they do. I will find people who want to be on my base camp team, those who want to climb and those who truly see making it to the top 3% of their highest and best.
All have value on my team. I will be the Quarterback of my team and I will climb this mountain with all that I learn and all that I give and inspire to assist others to get what they want.

Thanks to all of you for this day and this wisdom.
P