Here are 3 quick inspirational stories of pushing the limits, in business and play:
I had a busy week in Wisconsin: I took one of my peer groups to visit the manufacturing plants that build Ariens and Gravely, and we spent an hour with the CEO, Dan Ariens. When I got home I decided I needed to do something special for myself, so I googled “yoga” and went for a 90 minute session. Having very little experience with yoga, I was a bit embarrassed. When I showed up, I found out it was Bikram HOT yoga at 105 degrees!! While I am not a fan of hot saunas, I decided to stay and give it a try. The intense workout was exactly what my body needed after a busy week. This whole experience was outside my comfort zone, and I did well for a first timer. It gave me a fresh perspective on my relationships and how to stay at the top of my game.
What are you doing to push yourself to new limits?
At work, you are likely asking yourself and your staff to stretch themselves in order to hit your performance targets. My question for you: Are you leading by example? I don’t mean by working harder, I mean by working smarter and differently.
Dan Ariens told us that to recover from the great recession, he had to go outside his comfort zone in order to open up the books and engage his staff and turn things around. He learned a great lesson, and he continues to stretch himself and his company to this day, as they constantly innovate and bring new products to market.
My sister, who was never a big traveller, just went to Taiwan for a two-week large international bike trip. She is biking around the island, opening her soul and mind to brand new experiences that will change her forever. Here is a photo from her biking above the cloud line, reaching new heights.
Doing the same thing over and over gets stale and eventually ineffective. To reach new levels of achievement, you have to push yourself outside your comfort zone.
