In 1992, I experienced my first ropes course. For those of you who have not had the experience, a rope course led by an insightful guide is a series of physical challenges designed to teach you about life. One of the challenges that day so long ago was to move from one tire swing to another.
After repeatedly failing to get from one swing to the next, I learned that to move forward you must let go of the past.
This is not as obvious as it seems. If it were, we would not have as much trouble changing our business to suit the current environment as we most often do. Actually, most business people cling to the past, and the habits and practices that made them successful. This is normal and natural. There is security and comfort in old habits. New challenges present risk and discomfort.
"I learned that to move forward you must let go of the past."
See, to succeed in the ropes course, and move from one swing to the next, you have to let go of the swing you’re on to be able to reach out and grab the next one. If you don’t do that, you either don’t move forward or you crash to the ground. The difference between the swings on a ropes course and business is that business isn’t static, and failure to move forward often doesn’t just mean maintaining the status quo but death.
What are the future opportunities available to you and to your business? What must you let go of to embrace them? These are the questions of the rope course swing challenge. Let me encourage you to embrace them. Let go!
