FEATURE STORY
GOBI DESERT
Most of us don ’ t make bold decisions until we are pushed to the wall .
After the severe economic crash of October 2008 , I had to find
a project to regain my health physically , emotionally , and spiritually . Ideally , I would support the community around me , which was also struggling with the same challenges . I was seeking a breakthrough and zeroed in on a project well outside my comfort zone : attempting to finish the 2009 Gobi Desert Ultra-Marathon in China . So just like that , I started running .
I had never run a marathon before . This race involved running six marathons in five days in some of the world ’ s least hospitable terrain as part of a small team , carrying all our food and survival supplies on our backs . The desert was my metaphor for what all unemployed people might be facing — loneliness and humility with no end in sight , albeit living in a world of insights to uncover if I could just live in the moment .
Five months later , I anxiously showed up at the starting line . My hypothesis was that if I could complete this journey , it would get me in the best shape of my life , transform my level of emotional resilience , and raise funds to help some of the 300,000 Canadians who had just lost their jobs , a cause dear to me given my job as CEO of a headhunting and career transition firm .
I returned stronger and more spirited , fitter than I had been in twenty-five years , and having exceeded my fundraising goals . What was originally an idea to achieve my own breakthrough turned into a book ( Gobi Runner ), a TEDx Talk that I ’ ve since presented in fifteen countries , and a humanitarian award . Most important , I continued to share my Gobi story to encourage others to pursue their own dreams and “ just go for it .” Below , I deconstruct thirteen defining moments that may help you step out of your own comfort zone in 2017 . In effect , I challenge you to find your own Gobi .
1 . CHOOSE UNREASONABLENESS Life hands all of us opportunities yet we perceive most of them as outside our comfort zone . As we age , it becomes even more difficult to take advantage of these possibilities as our risk tolerance decreases and our decision making hovers between protecting ourselves and avoiding the sting of potential failure . When faced with that opportunity next time , however , try being unreasonable .
When the Gobi project first presented itself , my immediate response was , “ I have no experience !” And even if I thought I could run that far , I didn ’ t have enough time to get ready . I had so many reasons not to do it . Once I told myself to be unreasonable , however , my thought process completely changed . From that point on , I stopped listening to the negative voices and decided to move forward .
Reasonableness is a standard by which we make most decisions . Being unreasonable gives us the option of playing to win while expanding our comfort zone to what is possible . Try listing an unreasonable goal and then think of all the reasons to succeed and avoid failure .
2 . MAKE YOUR GOAL A PROMISE When faced with a challenge , wanting to overcome it is a great start towards meeting it head on . The next and more difficult step is committing to that want . We have a way of falling short of private goals we have set for ourselves , turning our goals into little more than good intentions . As the initial excitement wears off , we can become apathetic and less willing to “ just go for it .” By then , we may have tuned into our own self-doubt , highlighting all the risks and reasons why not to do something . Ultimately , we give in to hesitation and our minds rationalize the decision .
When I first shared my decision to run the Gobi , I heard a few dissonant voices , but overall I was greeted with support and encouragement . Making such a public statement was , in effect , a declaration — the highest form of promise . For most people , giving their word still means something and breaking a promise is unacceptable . In setting tough goals , appoint someone as your own accountability partner to whom you will regularly report your progress . Not only will having an accountability partner help you succeed , but it will also allow for useful feedback and support should you veer off course .
3 . THINK BIG , ONE SMALL STEP AT A TIME Projects often loom larger than they really are . Often , we get overwhelmed by what needs to be done , bury our heads , and do nothing at all . This isn ’ t because we don ’ t want to work out a solution ; rather , it ’ s because we can ’ t figure out where to start . What we need to do is break down the problem into bite-size chunks .
When I left the starting line in the Gobi , I wasn ’ t thinking about how I was going to run six marathons in five days . I focused on one race at a time . When that got to be too much , I thought about making it to the next ten-kilometer checkpoint , then to just the next flag . When I had no steam left , I concentrated on taking just one more step . To avoid being overwhelmed when you face your next >
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