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Snow Business

This week's adventure took me to Bridgton, Maine and the Shawnee Peak ski resort. Somehow, I've gone my entire life without having risked my life by strapping myself onto thin strips of wood or fiberglass and plunging down a mountain. (Go figure.) Still, skiing and other snowsports seem like such a great opportunity to enjoy three of my favorite things: the great outdoors, exercise, and overpriced snack bar cuisine.

I decided that it may be easier for me to learn to snowboard rather than ski. As a bona fide self-improvement junkie, I had no problem signing up for a group snowboarding lesson, even though I knew that at 36, I'd be much older than the other students. I happily grabbed my board and followed my instructor to the teaching area.

After about 20 minutes, my ample backside was really sore. Only the pain wasn't from falling. It was from sitting. And sitting. On the cold snow. Unfortunately, the class was too large, and the instructor was somewhat inexperienced. I sat on my duff as he worked one-at-a-time with each first-time snowboarder.

As I sat there, I realized that my hankerin' to get started was the same as dreaming about accomplishing great things in life. Many times, we sit on the sidelines rather than dive into our goal pursuits. We spend a lot of time thinking about doing something, but too little time actually doing it. We convince ourselves that the timing isn't quite right, that there isn't enough time right now, that we'll get to it later, and so on. But there we sit. We miss out on key opportunities for growth and experience. Time passes, and we have little to show for our good intentions.

Next time you find yourself on your seat instead of on your feet, try this:

• Ask the tough question. What's holding you back? Notice that I didn't say judge yourself. (Let's leave that to Judge Judy.) We're just interested in an open and honest assessment of what's keeping us from fully engaging and reaching our true potential. Examine your fears, your personal style, your motivation, and the clarity of your vision. It's all in play!
• Start small. Don't try and tackle the equivalent of a death-defying double black diamond on your first day. (Trust me.) The point is simply to get started on the path for now. There's plenty of time for heroics later on. Choose a symbolic and comfortable action if you need to. A great place to start is to take 30 seconds to write down that thing you want to do or achieve. You'll have a huge return on that tiny investment.
• Make a plan. In the long run, we're not interested in just any old action. Once we've started rolling, we need to develop a simple but thoughtful plan of attack. Consider the activities, milestones, and resources you'll need to be successful. Don't worry about getting it 100% right - you won't be able to. But, do take the time to create a plan and be prepared to adjust it as needed.
• Get it done. At the end of the day, you'll only achieve in accordance with your activity. You don't get points for thinking, but you get bonus points for doing. You've got to throw yourself into the work that lies ahead and learn to enjoy the process. Respect those healthy fears, but act in spite of them. Find the time to make something great happen in your life - you deserve it!

After sitting around with little to show for my time, I ditched my snowboarding class. I took the short chair lift ride to the top and proceeded to tumble down the mountain time and again. Did it hurt? Heck yeah! But I took away little nuggets with each run. (Those nuggets sure get stuck in some awkward places.) I also gained valuable experience at an accelerated pace.

By end of the day, I was tackling the big mountain. This particular leg was so precarious that they gave it the truly menacing name "Rabbit Run". (Sends shivers up my spine just thinking about it.) Okay, I'm no Carrot Top and there's no gold medal in my snowboarding future, but I had a blast at Shawnee Peak. I found a great new winter activity, and I enjoyed watching my kids zip down the mountain past me. (Slow down, whippersnappers!) Throw in the bonus life lesson, and it was a great weekend all around.

So what's your next move? Drop me a line - I'd love to hear all about it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the store to grab another bottle of Advil and an ice pack.

Coaching Quickie: Snow Business

Check back next week for results!

Last Week's Results

Coaching Quickie: For the Birds
With regards to your personal goal pursuits, how much are you sharing with others?

(25%) I live to give - Most of my efforts go toward helping others rather than myself.
(38%) Give and Take - I've struck the proper balance by sharing with others.
(25%) Mostly me - I do most things on my own, unless I really need help.
(13%) Han Solo - I'm keeping it all to myself.