Before I spent six days hiking the toughest parts of the Larapinta Trail in May, I believed what I would mostly learn from the experience was how to deal with blisters, no bathroom and mice in my swag.
And turns out, yes, I now have competence in all those things and a stack more. But what surprised me most about the whole Central Australia adventure was what being in the outback taught me about business.
Groups rock
I’m such an advocate of partnerships and collaborations that I have a business dedicated to their mastery. But my hike brought it all home to me again in a really interactive way.
Strangers before we met on the first day of the trek, each member of our group added so much to the overall experience. The big takeaway was that we learned so much from each other, from outsider perspectives about what actually counts to life stories with interesting lessons, that it was like an evolving coaching session with unexpected experts.
Lesson: Going forward, all my group programs will live up to their names and not be just run by me with occasional half hours for client input. I’m going full-on with interaction to give the opportunity for others to share to enrich the overall experience. I’m going to be a team player.
Switching off is powerful
In 2022, I’ve adopted a four-day work week model with Fridays being MyDays. So, I was already in switching off mode when I did the Larapinta, but having no phone, no email, no computer for six days took it to a new level.
Nobody could contact me. My days weren’t hijacked by messages which I now see as essentially other people’s demands. The long periods of silence made my brain feel rested, despite the deep exhaustion. It gave me wiggle room to learn to think again. Larapinta taught me that removing distractions in my every day is a powerful tool to free up mental space for priorities. It taught me the value of completely disengaging from work for periods of time is that it significantly increases my creativity and decision-making.
Lesson: Time away from work is something I now see as essential, not a luxury. In post-COVID times, with the lines between work and leisure hours often blurred, I recommend exploring new perspectives by turning off and tuning in to other things.
Up-levelling is the new black!
Stretched by the extreme physical challenge, I was able to let go of the Larapinta of what no longer serves me. That freed up space for fresh ideas and opportunities. It was only when I was surrounded by rock and earth and nothing man-made that I could create room for thinking about an exciting new program I’ll launch in 2023.
The plan? It will support people to up-level in life and business and take positive, powerful steps towards realising their goals. It will be completely different to any work I’ve done, reflecting the way my hiking adventure changed me from the inside out.
Lesson: Having mastered partnerships and marketing to mums, I want to master what makes people tick and thrive at home and work.
All up, I did leave it all out there on the trail. But I also came back with a whole lot more than I left with. My business will thank me.
