Artic Cold Front = Bike Riding Season?

Vancouver BC has gotten hit with this strange “arctic cold front” and we’re breaking records for snowfall and cold weather. In the midst of this, on Christmas Eve while I’m coming into the office, I see a guy riding his bike to work. Hold on, its -4 degrees outside, the streets are barley plowed, cars are having difficulty getting around, and this guy is commuting to work on his bike like others do in the summer months.

Have some resilience; a quality that few people exercise and those who do always cross the finish line and usually it is on top. Just like our biker friend refusing to change his means of transportation due to weather, to succeed, we must all be resilient.

I was told this metaphor years ago about what the pay off would be worth. Would you be willing to doing the dirtiest or most demeaning job in the world if you had a $1,000,000 bonus at the end of each year? Think about that. What is your price? Is it less than a million dollars? For some, it might be having debts paid off each year – what ever it is, find your price when looking at the tasks in front of you.

No matter the industry, this is relevant. Goal setting is one thing, fitting as the New Year’s Resolutions are a week away, but following through the necessary steps to hit those goals is essential.

I’ve met a lot of very smart, educated, sharp people over the years, and I must tell you, they have all the potential in the world. They have all the tools needed to accomplish great things. But only few put those tools to use – don’t be one of the could have, should have, would haves.

The worst thing someone can say to you is, “wow, you have so much potential!” That is translation for, “I see you have the tools, and you’re not putting them to use.”

Get into gear for the New Year, just like the biker commuting to work in the snow, be resilient and follow through on your goals for 2009!