Blog #531: Hard, Cold and Mean

I don’t have a crystal ball…
but I can often predict a person’s future.

Before I explain…

I’ve returned from sailing across the Pacific…and during my sea days from San Francisco to Hawaii and back, I did walk 100 miles on the ocean.

How’d I do that?

16 laps on the ship’s track = 1 mile.
160 laps = 10 miles.
160 laps x 10 days = 1,600 laps.
1,600 laps = 100 miles.

That’s how many crazy times I went around the ship’s track.
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Questions?

1. “Why did you want to do that?”
There are multiple reasons: 1) I’m not a fan of cruise-itinerary events, 2) It was an inspiring personal challenge, 3) Because it’s ME.

2. “Was it monotonous to do 1,600 laps?”
Once I got going…no. I focused on the mesmerizing movement and mystery of the ocean. However, I had days where it wasn’t easy to WANT to start lap #1. My self-coaching dialogue went something like: “You know you gotta’ walk today…so do it now. Get it out of the way so it quits hanging over your head.”

3. “How long did it take?”
I walked about 2:45 – 3 hours a day…depending on the harshness of the wind and if I jogged a little. A few days I knocked the miles off without stopping. Other days, I broke the walk into 2-3 different trips to the track.

4. “Did you get tired?”
The days I walked all ten miles without stopping, my legs grew extra tired around mile #8. On the days when I stopped and started, my legs and attitude were both slower in winding up to go…again.

5. “Did you ever get overwhelmed thinking about the goal?”
No. I knew I didn’t have to walk 100 miles in ONE day…and I’ve walked ten miles in a day 1,000+ times in my life. Never do I dwell on tomorrow’s walk.
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And now to my “I can often predict a person’s future” headline.

On Day #1 of the cruise, the upper deck’s track was packed with people.

The first day was a slow walking day because so many people WERE on the track…but that gave me a chance to talk with a lot of different walkers.

My question flow with a fellow walker usually started with:

“Isn’t the ocean beautiful?”

It’s a simple question, but their answers proved to be crystal ball-like in showing me if I’d see that person walking on future cruise days.

Some walkers answered:

“Yeah…but the wind is horrible!”
“Yeah…but the ship rocks too much!”
“Yeah…but the track is too short.”
“Yeah…but it’s freezing up here!”

I knew those people weren’t coming back. They didn’t.

Other walkers answered:

“Yeah…the ocean is fascinating!”
“Yeah…look how the waves sparkle!”
“Yeah…the fresh air feels so good.”
“Yeah…I love it out here!”

I knew I’d see those people walking past Day #1. I did.
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Being able to predict a person’s future?

It’s just listening.

Future results are uniquely tied to the words swirling in people’s heads and coming out of their mouths.

The harder, colder and meaner someone’s words are in describing the challenges they face in going for a goal makes their goal harder, colder and meaner…too. Turn a goal into hard, cold and mean…and what chance does a person really have to achieve that goal?

Sooo…

Can we make a prediction about you and your current goal?

I think so.

Give yourself a listen…and you tell me.