Always Taking the Next Step
They say every adventure begins with the first step. Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon said “a small step for man and a big step for mankind.” Man’s first step on the moon followed many steps inspired by President John Kennedy’s challenge to land a man on the moon.
A vision can make the impossible a reality. How many times has man and ourselves thought the impossible was not possible? Frequently. We often automatically say something is not possible for us. What separates us from where we are now and the reality of achieving the impossible? The first step.
Happiness is in Taking the Steps
Biologically, we can get a big burst of happiness brain chemicals for thinking, intending, and then taking that first step. We stimulate dopamine and serotonin and depending on what it is maybe oxytocin and endorphins. The extreme athlete is constantly fed with supporting happiness chemicals for preparing for a challenging adventure.
How do entrepreneurs feel about their first steps in a start up to achieve something they think will be revolutionary. The great thing about the entrepreneurial mind set it is that it doesn’t let fear control progress, it just manages fear. The big wave surfer says they always have fear, they have just learned to manage it.
We have fear because we imagine the task before us is greater than our capabilities. This stops us from taking that first step. I have always learned that my fear of something is because it seems so big and I seem so small. I have learned to take small bites out of the challenge, until I have nibbled it down to a manageable size.
What was Elon Musk thinking to take on the largest industry in the world with a non-gasoline consuming automobile? The odds of his success were too formidable. How does someone have the vision and the courage to jump into the unknown and not just the unknown but maybe certain failure? Why didn’t Columbus fear sailing off the end of the earth which in his days was a cultural belief?
Laird Hamilton conquered the big wave in Tahiti called Teahapoo that even the natives wouldn’t surf. He showed the surfing world what was possible. Yes, it takes one courageous person to lead the rest. It takes one courageous person to take that first step.
Facing Your Own Impossible Dreams
What lies before you in your life that you are hesitating to challenge? Realize that each of the conquerors began with facing smaller challenges until they built confidence that they could take the next big step, even if it was a doozy. Henry Ford failed at three businesses before he built the Model T Ford. Failure was not a deterrent to him.
Courage begets courage. As I surfer, I can say we all start on small waves and build the courage to ride bigger waves when we are confident our preparation has prepared us. Then we do have to muster some courage to make the next step. Most of us find the line which we are no longer willing to cross, but many surfers prepare harder and cross those lines continuously.
Three good tactics are good for achieving a challenge. First, we prepare and practice to develop the basic mechanics for success. We become competent at the basic necessary skills. Then we develop a passion for our activity which results from feeling this might be our purpose or part of our identity or maybe even the reason we are here.
Finally, we start dropping into flow when we engage. This is engaging in a challenging activity to the extent that today it will be a little bigger than our capabilities, but not beyond our capabilities. When we enter flow, all our judgmental thoughts cease and we are freely expressing our skills to reach peak performances. In this scenario, we are stimulating massive happiness brain chemicals and in a state of bliss. It becomes addicting. We want to return to that feeling again and again.
Now we know which steps to take. We start having visions of future progress and achievement. Pretty soon we find we have achieved what we thought was impossible. Go for your impossible dream. All the fun is in the journey.
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As a Thriving Worker Consultant, I can engage in conversations with employers on how to begin the process of helping workers thrive and reach peak performance. It begins with a conversation to see how far an organization is willing to go to change the culture for workers.
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