A few weeks ago I went to Bright on a cycling trip. After being in and out of lockdown here in Melbourne, I was looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend enjoying the scenery and fresh air, while I peddled my way across the country side.
But it turns out my cycling companion had other ideas… When he convinced me to ride Mount Buffalo the next day, I really didn’t know what I was agreeing to. I had never climbed a mountain with any decent elevation before… nor had I wanted to.
The next morning we got up bright and early and headed off. When we reached the base I began to realise that Mount Buffalo was a whole lot steeper than I thought. Had I known this, there is no way I would’ve agreed – but there was no pulling out now!
Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I gave myself a reality check. Rather than thinking about how far we had to climb to get to the top, I focussed on what I needed to do then and there – pedal and push.
Taking it one step at a time, I focussed on I keeping myself hydrated and nourished, and giving the legs a break here and there.
By the time we got to the 12km mark, I was ready to give up… This was way too hard! I kept thinking I needed a flat ride, like I was used to (the comfort zone). I suggested to my cycling companion that we turn around and head back down the mountain, but there was no way they were going to let me off that easily. We went back and forth and I offered up excuse after excuse – but they weren’t getting me anywhere, so I go back on my bike and kept riding.
The sun was shining and the view was pretty amazing, so I focussed my attention on that rather than the leg burn. After all, I didn’t have any other option. Then, after what felt like a lifetime, we finally made it to the top. The view across the surrounding country side was absolutely breathtaking.
But what made it really worthwhile was the sense of accomplishment – the high you get when you challenge yourself, push outside your comfort zone and do something you didn’t think you’d ever do.
If it wasn’t for all of the encouragement and support I got along the way, there is no way I would’ve had that experience. I needed someone else to believe in me. While the ride was well within my capabilities, it was the unknown and daunting.
This experience will no doubt shape my future experiences and give me the confidence to tackle other challenges. I want to do it again and climb bigger and steeper mountains. To challenge and push myself further – because I now know what I’m capable of.
In reflecting on the experience, I realised it is the support and encouragement that I provide my clients that lets them step outside of their comfort zone and achieve great things too.
I show them their potential by helping them look into the distance, find the opportunity, overcome their doubts and tackle things they once thought they couldn’t – which is what allows them to create more rewarding businesses.