Mount Everest is 8,848 meters high and to the majority of people, that’s enough to put them off from attempting to climb it, and they go back to their everyday lives, forgetting any ambition they had. But there is a secret to climbing this 8,848 meters and would knowing this make the climb any easier?
Just think about a ladder which is exactly 12.12 meters tall. Climbing that once doesn’t seem like a daunting task, nor does climbing it once a day for a week, two weeks, and perhaps with the help of a coach, you could even climb it once a day for a year.
Now think about climbing that 12.12 meters each day for two years; at the end you will have climbed the height of the tallest mountain in the world. Sounds impressive, right? But what changed? The height hasn’t changed, but the goal has been broken down into smaller, achievable steps.
By breaking large business goals down into bite-sized tasks the absurd aims suddenly become feasible. The next step is to put these goal into action by putting one foot in front of the other to deliver.
Knowing this nifty trick is only a very small part of the battle unfortunately.
Even having broken down the goals a large number of people still give up only half way up the mountain, whether they are satisfied with their progress or not.
As a business coach, one of my roles is to define a company’s Mount Everest and break it down in to ten-year, five-year, one-year or even 90-day plans and work closely alongside them to ensure each milestone is hit and that they are one step closer to achieving their end goal.
Throughout my experience I have come across countless people who overestimate what they can achieve in a year but underestimate what they can achieve in five years. It is important for business leaders to set aggressive business goals but ensure they are broken down into smaller goals and I am in no doubt that they will be surprised at what they are capable of achieving. Creating smaller, more realistic goals also helps improve motivation by reaching targets on a more regular basis.
Excerpted from ‘Sparks: Ideas to Ignite your Business Growth’ by Shweta Jhajharia, a leading global business coach. Claim your free copy at www.londoncoachinggroup.com/sparksbook
About Shweta Jhajharia
Shweta Jhajharia is a serial entrepreneur, international business speaker, leading global business coach and author of Sparks. Founder of the London Coaching Group, an ActionCOACH company, she has personally worked with hundreds of businesses. Shweta is a multi-award winner, including two prestigious International Stevie awards, a Millionaire Coach Award and the British Franchise Association’s Judges Award.
