Against the Wind

Years ago, there was a hit song by Bob Seger called “Against the Wind.”  In the song he describes a wonderful relationship that he had with a girl that they thought would last forever but they were running against the wind.

“And I remember what she said to me
How she swore it would never end
I remember how she held me so tight
Wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then”

The winds persisted throughout his life, and he laments at the end of the song that he is older now, but he is still running against the wind.

The metaphorical winds he faces throughout his life are distractions, moving around and never being settled, deadlines and commitments, fatigue and trying to please others.

He said, “I found myself seeking shelter against the wind.”

In his book From Salmon to Sidhartha, Don Fergusson describes the salmon leaving the ocean to swim upstream against strong currents, being pounded by rocks in a long laborious journey to the place where they were hatched, where they would spawn and then die.

Another nature-based metaphor for a life of struggle and suffering. For the salmon it is instinctual. For the success seeking human perhaps it is believed that to have great success there must be great struggle.

But what if we are the ones who have created the winds, or chosen to swim against the current?

What if we turned around and had the wind at our backs or turned around and swam with the current?

As coaches, our job is to support people in bringing out their best as they move toward the extraordinary results of which they dream. Part of the problem is that if they see life through either of these metaphorical lenses then they may be reluctant to dream in the first place. The salmon don’t question it, but some humans don’t question it. The belief that life is simply running against the wind is accepted, and if true, what is the point trying to believe anything else. When there are days when they are running against the wind, their belief is validated and will be entered as evidence that their belief is true. The days when the wind is at their back and things are going their way, it does not support their belief and may need to be ignored or discounted.

Here are some thoughts that might impact your success or the success of the people you lead.

Don’t set yourself up for failure! When supporting people in getting what they want out of life it is shocking to see how many people set themselves up for failure and when they fail, they can blame the world or the wind. One of the first ways to set yourself up for failure is to set goals that are unworthy, unimportant, or unattainable. To set goals that are beneath you, not exciting to you, or impossible for you to attain in the time you have set gives you evidence that you can’t achieve things and would rather not try. You can set yourself up for failure by not putting a plan together of how you will think, feel and act to make it happen. You can set yourself up for failure by thinking there is only one way to attain your goal. You can set yourself up for failure by putting several obstacles in front of you or not planning for the ones you know will show up.

Set yourself up for success! (Having the wind at your back!)

Take the time to set the right goal! If you haven’t set the right goal in the first place a lot of effort can result in you not getting to where you need to go. Be very clear and very specific about what it is that you want. A lack of clarity can cause a lack of focus and energy.

Make sure your thinking and beliefs are in alignment with your goal. It is amazing to see how many people hold on to beliefs or thoughts that support the idea that they will not be able to achieve their goal. Make sure your thoughts are in alignment.

Give your goal the feelings test! If you look at your goal and you are not excited or energized about it, or if you are not determined and almost obsessed with making it happen, you may consider changing your desired outcome.

Create a plan that is so good, it would be hard to fail. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Make it detailed. Plan for the expected obstacles and roadblocks. Plan for some circumstance that you don’t expect so you have the confidence that you are ready for whatever is thrown at you. Plan for the way you will celebrate the attainment of your goal. Get ideas for your plan from other thinkers. Learn from people who have achieved a similar outcome. Create daily habits for everyone involved that will move you are toward success.

Commitment! Get clear on your level of commitment and dedication and that of the other people involved.

Be open to help! You may be able to do it on your own, but enlisting support could get you there quicker.

Simplify and Eliminate! You are more likely to make it happen if things are simple to communicate and simple to execute. To achieve your desired result, you may need to eliminate some things that take your time or your energy. The less cluttered your mind, your schedule, your office, or your desk is the more focus you can give to what is important.

Accountability! How will you set up an environment of accountability for you and for others? How will you track progress so you can adjust stay on track?

Those are some ideas that can support you in having extraordinary results, but it is simply laid upon your belief of whether you are running against the wind or if the wind is at your back.

You get to decide!