In Business and Skiing, You Go Where You’re Looking

I’ll admit it…Since the snow has started flying here in the Cascades I have skiing on the brain. And as is true with all the crazy outdoor sports I do, there are some powerful lessons to be learned from skiing that apply equally to growing your business.

The big one I want to talk to you about today is where you’re looking. Because I know as a busy entrepreneur how easy it is to get all focused in on where you are right now…And the possible problems you see directly in front of you.

But if you do that you’re going to go right into the thick of those problems instead of towards where you really want to be. So instead I want to share a specific system I use in all my sports, and my business, to make sure I’m always focused on the right things.

Now, if you’ve ever skied, you probably noticed a natural tendency to want to stare at your ski tips. It feels safer to look at what you’re currently skiing over, and it feels incredibly uncomfortable to look down the hill.

The thing is, if you’re always looking right down at your feet you can’t see what’s coming. So you end up hitting an unexpected bump or pile of snow and losing your balance. Or missing a turn you meant to take and ending up somewhere you didn’t want to be.

Instead you need to stay focused down the hill the majority of the time so you can see where you’re going and what’s coming at you. That requires trusting yourself to handle the little stuff that inevitably comes along without giving it too much of your attention.

Sounds counterintuitive I know. But it really works. I do this in skiing, whitewater kayaking, mountain biking, and in my business.

Here’s the system I use to make sure I’m always focused on where I want to go…

First I look 200 yards ahead, then I quickly look 100 yards ahead, then 50 then 10. Then I look 200 yards ahead again and start the process over. So the majority of my time I’m staring way out ahead of where I am currently.

This lets me see what’s coming in the distance and make solid big picture decisions. While at the same time taking a quick glance at what’s coming at me right now to make sure I haven’t overlooked anything critically important.

Notice that I’m never looking at my skis (IE: Where I’m at right now) because I trust that I can handle whatever I’m going through. After all, I saw it coming. So I’ve already had the chance to make any course corrections or adjust my balance.

Same thing works in your business, because if you spend all your time focused on what you’re doing today, it’s hard to see where you’re going or what’s coming your way. This kind of focus becomes even more important when you’re heading into an area with a lot of potential problems.

To go back to my skiing analogy, when you start learning to ski the trees, the cardinal rule is, “Look where you want to go.” That’s because if you stare at the tree ahead of you you’re going to be drawn towards it like steel to a magnet—and probably hit it. So you have to look at the spaces between the trees instead.

When problems or difficulties arise in your business—and you know they inevitably will—you can put all your attention on the problem. Or you can focus on the solution. Do the former and you’re only going to dive deeper into the problem and end up banging your head against a wall.

Instead you need to focus on the way around the problem (IE: the spaces between the trees). Keep your eye on the solution and you’ll move through it much more smoothly. And need I say that you’re going to have a heck of a lot more fun along the way!

What can you do right now to change your focus?

1) Set aside a few hours to think about where you want to go in your business. Don’t just look at today, next week, or next month. Remember you want to spend most of your time looking 200 yards down the hill.

2) Write down your 6 month, 1 year, 2 year and 5 year goals. Then post these where you have to stare at them every day. That way you’re always looking where you’re headed.

3) Anytime you’re faced with a problem, as quickly as possible stop focusing on the problem and start focusing on the solution. You want to look at the spaces between the trees, not the trees themselves after all. Then keep going in that direction.

Where do you spend most of your time looking? Are you focused on what you’re doing right now, what you’re going to do tomorrow or next week? Or are you looking further out?

Please do share your thoughts by leaving a comment below…