I recently caught up with an old client of mine (he is only about 40) for a coffee. He’s always been a fitness fanatic, despite having a busy family and business life. His dedication has been rewarded by qualifying to appear in the next series of Australian Ninja Warrior. For amateur sportspeople, this is a huge achievement.
I asked him if there was one message he could share from the Ninja Warrior process that would be useful in business and life. He said that as he faced the first obstacle before starting the circuit, he realised: “This is all there is. There is one chance to succeed.” If he fell at the first obstacle, he was out of the competition. He knew he had to give it everything he had.
Too often, we fall into the trap of not committing 100% to our endeavours. Lukewarm efforts get lukewarm results. We go through major preparation in terms of education, work experience and planning for something we want to achieve in our business or personal lives, but when it comes to the crunch, we don’t show up with the right attitude. We might think a bit differently about it if there was something significant on the line, like our mortality, house or a relationship.
We can spend more time thinking about doing something than actually doing it. The Ninja Warriorcompetitor spends a lot of time preparing, then applies razor-sharp focus to the event, which only takes a few minutes (whether they are successful or not). My friend pointed out that knowing there is no way of going back means you must go forward as quickly as possible.
Asking ourselves, “What would a Ninja Warrior do?”, when faced with challenges and opportunities might lead us to more effective action and implementation of ideas.
I help small business owners find a way forward. Email me at bryan@bryanworn.com.