It Was an Accident That Changed Everything

There’s something magical about biking in a big city.

But what do you do when the inevitable happens and you fall?

My first home was in the industrial part of Seattle. There weren’t many bikes around and big trucks were the main inhabitants of the road.

Occasionally, I would get told to “get off the road,” or a truck would get a little too close. That was part of the adventure. But one morning I learned another part of the adventure; how to fall.

I hit a railroad track at just the right angle, taking me right over and landing with full force on my knee.

I. Was. Out!

The only way I was going to get better was through rehab. And it was through rehab, I learned walking would be a good way to gradually heal.

So, if I was going to walk to get better, I thought I might as well turn it into a challenge of some kind. So I made a decision…

I was going to?WALK?a marathon.

I had a goal of walking 5 days a week. When I started, walking just 5 miles felt like it would take forever. How was I ever going to walk 26.2 miles?

It took some time and I found a training program that worked for me. Over the course of a few months, all I did was walk.

And walk, and walk, and walk…

Before I really knew it, I was able to walk 18 miles on a Saturday morning. My training, and my slow-but-steady dedication to the challenge I set for myself was about to pay off.

Finally, it was race day!

I couldn’t actually believe I was there. I had never been athletic and wasn’t totally sure what I was in for as the crowd took off.

Conditions at the race weren’t ideal. It was cold. It was wet. (Seattle’s marathon is in November ??) And I knew it was going to be a long day.

My walking partner that I had trained with took off early on, so very soon on it was me on my own. I passed her in line at the first bathroom stop and didn’t see her again until the finish line.

But what happened next surprised me the most…

I finished the marathon before my veteran marathon walking partner AND a lot of the runners!

This was a huge lesson for me in being prepared. By sticking with the plan and doing the work, I did something that was bigger than I had imagined I could.

I did it because I was ready.

As leaders, we often skip past the preparation step in the process. We may practice an important presentation, but we don’t practice the other things that matter.

In other words, we wing it a lot of the time.

But what if we as leaders made the conscious decision to prepare for more of the important things we do? What does that do for us? What kind of courage would that bring you?

Because we have thought out all the potential ways things can go sideways, we don’t get caught off guard as easily. Then, we start performing at much higher levels and taking bigger risks.

Coming up with planning strategies as part of your leadership qualities will make the biggest difference in how effective you are as a leader.

In the SisterSmart leadership program, we go over planning strategies; how they work, how they help, and how you can create the best one for you and your employees.

If you’re ready to start your journey of discovery with me, book a 45-minute Insight Session to get started.

In this call, we’ll discuss where you are currently in your career, what your goals and visions are for the future, and if it’s appropriate, we can talk about how the Sisters in Leadership program could benefit you.

Book your Insight Session?here, today!