A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view halfway up is better than the view from the base, and it steadily becomes finer as the horizon expands.
Businesses and people face challenges when things unfurl the way they expected. That is the point on their journey when they have to look for new opportunities and alternatives to make progress. As this famous saying goes, any of us looking for growth and fulfilment must think of expanding our perspectives so that we can discover possibilities. We are all living in times that are uncertain and volatile; hence, we have to keep expanding our horizons.
Climbing a tower
Some of us feel invigorated at the sight of a tower and excited about the possibility of climbing it up. However, some of us are scared to venture, some are doubtful of the outcomes and some keep procrastinating. It is about making bold moves. Do we have it in us?
We must recognise the progress we have made already and the challenges we have successfully been able to overcome. Though the successes of the past are no guarantee that we will be able to do it again, it certainly gives us the confidence that we must try, for that is the only way one can make progress.
Staying in the comfort zone can provide one with peace and an escape route in the short term, but it impoverishes one’s courage to deal with challenges in the future and thus, weakens the chances of long-term success.
What enables us?
We need the passion and determination to climb up and widen one’s vision rather than seek greener pastures at the same level. What else? The timing has to be right!
One must have looked around vividly enough from the altitude one has arrived at. In the absence of rigour and attention to detail, we lose the advantage of having viewed and learnt the details one could. Our actions are led by our thoughts, and the thoughts are outcomes of the knowledge and insights we gather along the way and the mentorship we receive from the teachers around us. Hence, the second most important enabler for us is our striving for depth-building.
We have to learn from our customers, colleagues, partners and all other stakeholders in our business, work collaboratively with them and earn our stripes for the excellence we have shown consistently. Given this, we will be driven to climb further, widen our vision and expand the horizon.
Thirdly, it needs our maturity to accept that climbing up could mean disruptions and changes in habits. As we go higher up, we could need a support system that is different from what we have been used to in the previous vantage points.
As we climb up and view a wider area,
The idea of growth, going to a higher altitude and experiencing new landscapes is exciting. However, to make it purposeful and effective, we need to identify the activities that must be done differently, the parameters that one has to measure and the dashboard one must view. We need mentors, guides and other support systems that can guide us not only through the journey but also while someone has arrived at a new altitude. One might have to add new resources and capabilities to one’s armour to maximise the opportunity at hand. One might have to drop some of the tasks and habits, ingrain new ones and seek continuous feedback on how we are doing.
“Your greatness is measured by your horizons.”
-Michelangelo.
