fforts? That’s right, during the time away from the work when we back off and give ourselves time and space so that the Learns from the experience can come through.

Reflection is an opportunity for Learning – and Learning is a platform for Improvement

This, dear reader, in my world is THE KEY to becoming incredibly self-aware, taking control of your Journey and your Outcomes and generally Doing Big & Scary! stuff. Here’s what I’ve learned: most people are too busy doing life to Take The Temperature. You want to make a difference this year? Put Step Five right up there as a priority. Plan it in and commit to learn how to do it really well. Here’s a few pointers:

Garbage In Garbage Out. You probably wont get the most honest of perspectives if you do this when you feel pants after a disappointing race or a tough day at work. Unless you can change how you feel about yourself and

Step Three: Keep It Simple – Progress In Bite-Size Chunks How NOT To Eat An Elephant: DO NOT start this if you really don’t want to and are not hungry. Don’t do it on your own with no tools to help. Don’t try to do it all at once and DON’T start with the tusks. Really.

Here’s how: wait until you are absolutely famished and there are no other food sources. Find other folks who have eaten elephants before and ask them how they did it. What would they do different next time? Get the sharpest tools you can and as many other hungry folk as you can find. Start with the smallest, fleshiest part and take the tiniest of mouthfuls. Pause, consider, consult, learn. Then do it again: by the time you get to the tusks you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about. The principle here is to break every seemingly Big & Scary! task down until you have something which you can easily do. And everything breaks down: EVERYTHING! So it is never the prospect of keeping motivated throughout all 12 months of next year. You may be able to get your head around 3 months, or 4 weeks, or even one week. Just nail 3 good days out of 7 – 3! If everything else goes belly-up, by that measure the week will still have been a good one. If you can do it for one week you can do it for another. And you might even manage 4 this time. Then 5. If you’re not careful that’ll soon become 4 weeks. Do THAT again and that’s two months and THAT’S about a third of the way through. Hey, this stuff can soon stack up, huh?!

Step Four: Focus On What You Can Control How do you know what you can control if this is all pretty new stuff? Go find a Role-Model. You want to be like greased lightening in transition? Go hang around with people who are like greased lightening in transition and pay attention - really pay attention - to what they do and how they do it. Make notes, take pictures, ask lots of questions – yes, even the silly ones! - watch videos and try it all for yourself and pay attention to the results you get. Not getting the results you want? Reflect, learn, maybe do some more information gathering, then change your approach but DO keep doing it! Remember that it feels good to try!

Choose The Path Of Least Pain

It is very unlikely that any of us will be called during our time on this Earth to invent something from scratch. That means that there is going to be a model and a template somewhere for us to learn from. Somebody, somewhere will have been there and got the T-shirt. All we have to do is to find ‘em and pay attention and learn to make it work for us. We can start by asking among our Team: ‘Who do you know of..?’ will start people looking in the right direction. Really smart role-modelling is selective: so when you are looking at a whole person it is rarely the whole package. Focus on the qualities and the skills which are helpful to you in getting you to your Goal in the manner you want to get there.

So think about this now: Who do you want on your Team as Role Models? People to aspire to and to learn from? They could be people you know well or by name or reputation only. They could be virtual: websites, forums, video, books, other information sources – anything to short-cut the learning process and make it all a little less big and less scary! More and more race websites have forums which are a great opportunity to share information and learn from the old hands and to do it in privacy. Just ask the helpful questions! Remember, for the most part, people will want to help you…

Step Five: Rest, Reflect & Recuperate At what point do we gain the insights from our efforts? That’s right, during the time away from the work when we back off and give ourselves time and space so that the Learns from the experience can come through.

Reflection is an opportunity for Learning – and Learning is a platform for Improvement

This, dear reader, in my world is THE KEY to becoming incredibly self-aware, taking control of your Journey and your Outcomes and generally Doing Big & Scary! stuff. Here’s what I’ve learned: most people are too busy doing life to Take The Temperature. You want to make a difference this year? Put Step Five right up there as a priority. Plan it in and commit to learn how to do it really well. Here’s a few pointers:

Garbage In Garbage Out. You probably wont get the most honest of perspectives if you do this when you feel pants after a disappointing race or a tough day at work. Unless you can change how you feel about yourself and y

down: EVERYTHING! So it is never the prospect of keeping motivated throughout all 12 months of next year. You may be able to get your head around 3 months, or 4 weeks, or even one week. Just nail 3 good days out of 7 – 3! If everything else goes belly-up, by that measure the week will still have been a good one. If you can do it for one week you can do it for another. And you might even manage 4 this time. Then 5. If you’re not careful that’ll soon become 4 weeks. Do THAT again and that’s two months and THAT’S about a third of the way through. Hey, this stuff can soon stack up, huh?!

Step Four: Focus On What You Can Control How do you know what you can control if this is all pretty new stuff? Go find a Role-Model. You want to be like greased lightening in transition? Go hang around with people who are like greased lightening in transition and pay attention - really pay attention - to what they do and how they do it. Make notes, take pictures, ask lots of questions – yes, even the silly ones! - watch videos and try it all for yourself and pay attention to the results you get. Not getting the results you want? Reflect, learn, maybe do some more information gathering, then change your approach but DO keep doing it! Remember that it feels good to try!

Choose The Path Of Least Pain

It is very unlikely that any of us will be called during our time on this Earth to invent something from scratch. That means that there is going to be a model and a template somewhere for us to learn from. Somebody, somewhere will have been there and got the T-shirt. All we have to do is to find ‘em and pay attention and learn to make it work for us. We can start by asking among our Team: ‘Who do you know of..?’ will start people looking in the right direction. Really smart role-modelling is selective: so when you are looking at a whole person it is rarely the whole package. Focus on the qualities and the skills which are helpful to you in getting you to your Goal in the manner you want to get there.

So think about this now: Who do you want on your Team as Role Models? People to aspire to and to learn from? They could be people you know well or by name or reputation only. They could be virtual: websites, forums, video, books, other information sources – anything to short-cut the learning process and make it all a little less big and less scary! More and more race websites have forums which are a great opportunity to share information and learn from the old hands and to do it in privacy. Just ask the helpful questions! Remember, for the most part, people will want to help you…

Step Five: Rest, Reflect & Recuperate At what point do we gain the insights from our efforts? That’s right, during the time away from the work when we back off and give ourselves time and space so that the Learns from the experience can come through.

Reflection is an opportunity for Learning – and Learning is a platform for Improvement

This, dear reader, in my world is THE KEY to becoming incredibly self-aware, taking control of your Journey and your Outcomes and generally Doing Big & Scary! stuff. Here’s what I’ve learned: most people are too busy doing life to Take The Temperature. You want to make a difference this year? Put Step Five right up there as a priority. Plan it in and commit to learn how to do it really well. Here’s a few pointers:

Garbage In Garbage Out. You probably wont get the most honest of perspectives if you do this when you feel pants after a disappointing race or a tough day at work. Unless you can change how you feel about yourself and

what they do and how they do it. Make notes, take pictures, ask lots of questions – yes, even the silly ones! - watch videos and try it all for yourself and pay attention to the results you get. Not getting the results you want? Reflect, learn, maybe do some more information gathering, then change your approach but DO keep doing it! Remember that it feels good to try!

Choose The Path Of Least Pain

It is very unlikely that any of us will be called during our time on this Earth to invent something from scratch. That means that there is going to be a model and a template somewhere for us to learn from. Somebody, somewhere will have been there and got the T-shirt. All we have to do is to find ‘em and pay attention and learn to make it work for us. We can start by asking among our Team: ‘Who do you know of..?’ will start people looking in the right direction. Really smart role-modelling is selective: so when you are looking at a whole person it is rarely the whole package. Focus on the qualities and the skills which are helpful to you in getting you to your Goal in the manner you want to get there.

So think about this now: Who do you want on your Team as Role Models? People to aspire to and to learn from? They could be people you know well or by name or reputation only. They could be virtual: websites, forums, video, books, other information sources – anything to short-cut the learning process and make it all a little less big and less scary! More and more race websites have forums which are a great opportunity to share information and learn from the old hands and to do it in privacy. Just ask the helpful questions! Remember, for the most part, people will want to help you…

Step Five: Rest, Reflect & Recuperate At what point do we gain the insights from our efforts? That’s right, during the time away from the work when we back off and give ourselves time and space so that the Learns from the experience can come through.

Reflection is an opportunity for Learning – and Learning is a platform for Improvement

This, dear reader, in my world is THE KEY to becoming incredibly self-aware, taking control of your Journey and your Outcomes and generally Doing Big & Scary! stuff. Here’s what I’ve learned: most people are too busy doing life to Take The Temperature. You want to make a difference this year? Put Step Five right up there as a priority. Plan it in and commit to learn how to do it really well. Here’s a few pointers:

Garbage In Garbage Out. You probably wont get the most honest of perspectives if you do this when you feel pants after a disappointing race or a tough day at work. Unless you can change how you feel about yourself and

ing is selective: so when you are looking at a whole person it is rarely the whole package. Focus on the qualities and the skills which are helpful to you in getting you to your Goal in the manner you want to get there.

So think about this now: Who do you want on your Team as Role Models? People to aspire to and to learn from? They could be people you know well or by name or reputation only. They could be virtual: websites, forums, video, books, other information sources – anything to short-cut the learning process and make it all a little less big and less scary! More and more race websites have forums which are a great opportunity to share information and learn from the old hands and to do it in privacy. Just ask the helpful questions! Remember, for the most part, people will want to help you…

Step Five: Rest, Reflect & Recuperate At what point do we gain the insights from our efforts? That’s right, during the time away from the work when we back off and give ourselves time and space so that the Learns from the experience can come through.

Reflection is an opportunity for Learning – and Learning is a platform for Improvement

This, dear reader, in my world is THE KEY to becoming incredibly self-aware, taking control of your Journey and your Outcomes and generally Doing Big & Scary! stuff. Here’s what I’ve learned: most people are too busy doing life to Take The Temperature. You want to make a difference this year? Put Step Five right up there as a priority. Plan it in and commit to learn how to do it really well. Here’s a few pointers:

Garbage In Garbage Out. You probably wont get the most honest of perspectives if you do this when you feel pants after a disappointing race or a tough day at work. Unless you can change how you feel about yourself and

fforts? That’s right, during the time away from the work when we back off and give ourselves time and space so that the Learns from the experience can come through.

Reflection is an opportunity for Learning – and Learning is a platform for Improvement

This, dear reader, in my world is THE KEY to becoming incredibly self-aware, taking control of your Journey and your Outcomes and generally Doing Big & Scary! stuff. Here’s what I’ve learned: most people are too busy doing life to Take The Temperature. You want to make a difference this year? Put Step Five right up there as a priority. Plan it in and commit to learn how to do it really well. Here’s a few pointers:

Garbage In Garbage Out. You probably wont get the most honest of perspectives if you do this when you feel pants after a disappointing race or a tough day at work. Unless you can change how you feel about yourself and your performance – and that’s a whole new article! - you will get a pants result! Use your Support System to help you. Get perspective by involving members of your Team: they may pick up on things you don’t see. If you always feel clear headed and at peace with the world on an easy run before work then this is the time to let the brain go to work on these questions:

What went well? What did I learn? How can I make it even better next time?

Don’t worry about how you will remember it all, your brain has that one covered, just write some notes to yourself in your diary when you get home – out of your head and onto the paper: write it down and make it real! Then check in with yourself again after a few days. Still coming up with the same answers? Then it’s probably an accurate reflection.

Step Six: Smile, Celebrate & Re-Set The Goal The great thing about progressing in bite-size chunks and doing reflection and keeping a diary is that there are always lots of opportunities to celebrate and therefore feel good! Another chunk completed: FANTASTIC! Another key principle to doing Big & Scary! is the need to constantly generate a can do, am doing, will do, have done attitude by focusing on self-to self comparisons. Hands up if you’ve ever compared yourself to somebody else? Helpful? Can you control it? No, on both counts I would suggest. It’s just easier to do Big and Scary! stuff with this attitude.

Look how far I’ve come, look what I’m doing now as opposed to last week, last month / year. Listen to how I’m thinking, how I’m talking to myself. Just read how I was writing in my diary only last month – was that really me? Blimey! My Team have noticed some really cool changes! And the results I’m getting! I’ve made good on all my key commitments this week and that feels pretty good! Let’s just apply the learns and stick with this thing – let me at the next bit!

We Get What We Focus On

This is another reason why Step Five focuses on the good stuff: if we focus on the good stuff we generally feel pretty good – because We Get What We Focus On, right? - so the type of questions posed during Reflection is really crucial. This is not to blindly do the rose-tinted glasses bit. It just depends on the Goal of the exercise and the Goal of this exercise is to generate a can-do am-doing attitude because that’s just more helpful when faced with Big & Scary! stuff. Of course there is a place for taking apart the disappointments: just choose when, where and how you do this. A Final Challenge Now if you’re Anglo-Saxon and British, (and I am) there is an additional challenge: we’re generally all a bit repressed and we don’t do ‘celebration’ all that well! Well, I have news for us all: It’s OK to be proud. Yes, really. Just mix it with a nice dose of humility when in public, but in private you have my permission to go nuts – or at least have a sneaky grin at yourself in the mirror when no one else is looking…So treat yourself, share the achievement with those closest to you and plan things in advance for when you do. There are lots of scales and ways of celebrating, but if you are short of ideas – go Role Model!

So there you have it: Doing Big & Scary! in Six Steps and a final thought to take you into 2007. Failure is never quite so frightening as regret. Joe Simpson, Mountaineer.