How Big is Your Mountain?

Human nature is not unlike water; it will seek the path of least resistance downhill.

When you are setting goals for your business, for yourself, and for your employees, you always need to keep this in mind: how big is your mountain? How distant and complex is the path downhill?

Sometimes I see entrepreneurs hold back from their true vision. They are afraid to make it too big because then failure will feel worse. But that's not true. Failure from great heights feels better than the knowledge that you never even tried.

If you want to build something big and beautiful, then make sure you envision craggy peaks, great heights, and majestic, awe-inspiring beauty. Sure, when things get overwhelming, focus in on small sections, but don't use that as an excuse to miss out on the excitement and energy you get from creating a massive, worthwhile vision. 

If you do this, you will notice that the water will meander, and it will even have to fall sometimes to overcome the massiveness of your mountain, but, surprisingly, such activities only add to the overall impact of your final achievement. Also, remember that streams can be diverted and redirected - no matter how big your mountain, you can always change the path of the details.

Virginia Ginsburg is founder and chief consultant at Swell Strategies. She is passionate about supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs in starting and running successful enterprises. An avid reader, in this blog she reviews books and articles and relates specific learning points back to entrepreneurial businesses.