Breaking Through Limits workshop October 6!

I am delighted to offer Magellan Enterprises clients and guests a half-day event with myself and Phil Bryson of On the Edge Productions. Phil has worked with organizations all over the world, such as Microsoft and Proctor & Gamble. I participated in a similar event with Phil last April, and told many of you how incredibly powerful it was.

We’ll incorporate a high ropes challenge course into the concept of Breaking through Limits. The event will be fun, very safe, and very rewarding. Phil has graciously extended special pricing to Magellan Enterprises – the cost for the workshop is just $50 per person – a truly screamin’ deal! Space will be limited, so please call me at 259-4847 to register early. The event will be held at Sheraton-Tamarron Resort in Durango, CO on Friday, October 6, from 1-6:30. We’ll wrap up the day with a no-host dinner at Tamarron, so plan on sticking around. This is an event you won’t want to miss! I promise you an experience you’ll treasure for the rest of your life. Call for more details.

Maintaining Momentum

Last month’s article focused on “starting”. We all have different challenges with starting, maintaining momentum, and finishing. Some of us have challenges with all of them! Some people can jump right in to starting a project, but can’t seem to finish. This month’s article addresses the challenge of maintaining momentum when you’re in mid-stride. You’ve started a project, task or new routine, and the excitement of the newness is past. The finish is quite a ways off. You have neither the adrenaline of something new or something about to end to keep you fueled. “Stay the course” sounds boring, even dreary. How do you keep yourself going?

Examples: a weight loss or fitness program; a book you want to write; a career change; a home improvement project. You’re excited about your goal – you start off like gangbusters. You want to finish – what’s getting in the way?

Take a look at what your real motivation for the project is. If you want to lose 20 pounds, is it because you want to lose weight, or because you want to feel more attractive? Or is it to improve your health? Be clear about what the strongest reason is for you. Let the rest of it go –
other benefits are a bonus.

Big goals can take a lot of time and energy to complete. Much of our lives today are programmed toward instant gratification. If we don’t immediately get the results we’re after, motivation can wane. Breaking a project into manageable bites can help you maintain momentum by creating milestones en route to the final result. If you want to lose 20 pounds, start by losing 5 pounds this month. Then set the milestone for the next month. Give yourself a chance to win, because winning is what will not only maintain, but increase your momentum.

I used to watch the start of the Boston marathon when I lived in Ashland, MA. It was incredible! This 2-lane road would be absolutely teeming with running, sweating humanity for a solid 45 minutes. When I was in college at BU, I used to watch the finish by the Prudential Center – it was
really exciting to watch the runners push for the finish after running a grueling 26 miles. A couple of times, I watched the middle of the race. It was pretty boring – just runners sporadically jogging by. Yawn.

Boredom is the most common cause of project stall-out. Boredom leads to procrastination, loss of creativity and a much slower pace. How can you regain and maintain momentum?

Try these steps:

1. Get clear about your strongest reason for undertaking the project in the first place. Focus on that result, and re-whet your appetite for it.
2. Recognize when you’re stalled. You can’t get going again if you think you’re still on track.
3. What’s in the way? Are you trying to do too much at once? Is the goal still important to you?
4. Create interim milestones so that you build momentum with a series of smaller accomplishments.
5. Visualize the finish. How will you feel when the goal is accomplished? What is the main benefit, and all the side benefits that you’ll realize?
6. Focus on just 2 or 3 things you can do that will take you toward the goal. Let the rest go.

Finally, tell at least one other person (such as your coach!) what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s amazing how that strengthens the accountability factor.

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Reach Me: Telephone: (970) 259-4847; Fax: (970) 259-4874
E-mail: ginger@magellangj.com
Web: www.magellangj.com

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