35,000 feet.
Flying back to Seattle on Saturday held a unique joy for me. Not only was I coming home from several days in Providence, RI, but I was flying over the Rocky Mountains on a glorious day. It caused me to put down my book, turn on my iPod, and take in the Rockies to the tunes of Glen Campbell, Lynard Skynard, and Sinatra. As what often seems to happen in the inner solitude at 35,000 or so feet, you get thoughtful. In between the gazing out at the snow-capped peaks, I actually came up with some great ideas for my business (including this post) and my life. Sometimes you need to get to “35,000 feet” to be creative and strategic.
How many of us hang around 6 feet most of our days?
Think about it. The 6 foot and under level means we are dealing with things in the moment, emergencies and “fires” that arise, in crisis mode, or maybe even in the dreaded “same old, same old” mode. Stuck answering phone calls and responding to emails. Going home and feeling like nothing was accomplished. Sound familiar?
When I work with my coaching clients, I encourage them to find time to get to 35,000 feet to work on their business, rather than at their business. This is when you can become singularly focused on the future, on planning, on strategy, and most importantly, on being creative and having fun. Your “work” should be fin or else you might need to find another line of “work.” By the way, this goes for your personal life as well. Never forget you only have one life, not multiple lives.
Find sometime this week to get to 35,000 feet. You don’t need to board a plane to do it. Just find space and time and quiet and you will get there. And by the way, a little Sweet Home Alabama never hurts…
This week’s quote – “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live which he had imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau
