Business Insights From Skipping

Taking on the skipping challenge is one of the best things that has happened to me this year. I started out wanting to improve my physical well being but I have learnt so much about life and business during my skipping sessions. I am now able to understand why many if not all successful people are keen on physical exercise and regular workouts.

So last weekend I did cross the 5,000 milestone in a single skipping session. It was a real push against the tide, everything in me wanted to give up at some point but I kept pushing for more until I crossed the finish line so to say. As much as I had set a major record for my peers and myself I dreaded the coming weeks where I would have to push beyond that milestone. I had only a day or two to celebrate the achievement before embarking on the next challenge.

The new week is already here and this morning was my scheduled workout day. I went to bed last night psyching myself so I can start the day on the right note. I went to bed early enough so I could get enough sleep ahead of my new challenge.

I started out well and everything was going just fine until I crossed the 4,000 threshold. My legs wanted to give way and my body was drenched in sweat. A small voice told me to just push to 5,000 and that would be okay since that is my standing record while another told me to just quit and try another day.

I knew that quitting is not an option because I have trained my will never to give up until all possible options have been explored. I had the will and resolve to keep going though my body felt otherwise. I took a minute to offer myself a motivational talk and that was it. Once my mind bought into the idea, my body soon aligned itself. Not only did I make 5,000 skips, I hit my days target of 5,500 skips in a single workout with scheduled intervals in between sets.

While I reflected on my workout, I realized that the mind has no will of its own rather it feed on the information we give it. We give up because we told ourselves it can’t be done or convinced ourselves that it was not worth it. We can train our minds and bodies to accomplish anything we set our hearts to. So the question is what are you telling yourself?

I have said it before and I will say it again, your private victories precede your public victories. Skipping is training my mind and will to challenge the status quo by pushing the limits. When I am working on a project and I feel like giving up, my inner voice echoes back my words – “We don’t give up until its done, we go for the target”. That is my self talk as I work out and it is interesting to note how it is playing out in my work life.

In the last couple of weeks, I have stepped out of my comfort zone to try new strategies, meet new people and even attempted to new ideas that I would otherwise not have done if I had not adopted this new mindset. I have read books and listened to several inspirational speakers but nothing has pushed me out of my comfort zone than this one hour plus of personal development that has also become my attitude coaching session.

Physical exercise is not just a means to physical well being, it is a gate way to training your mind and will to push against the limits. When you learn to challenge yourself in private, it will become natural to challenge yourself in public. That which you do when no one is watching will set the standard for how you respond when the world is watching.