4 Ways to Reach Extraordinary
Everest was identified as the highest point above sea level in 1852. 70 years later, George Mallory and others attempted to reach the summit and failed (1922).
Mallory attempted to summit Everest again on June 8, 1924 with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine. Both perished.
Mallory’s body was found May 1, 1999. After a short ceremony, he was buried on the mountain. Irvine’s body is lost.
31 years after Mallory and Irvine’s failure, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made it, May 29, 1953.
News of their extraordinary achievement reached the world the day Elizabeth was crowned Queen of England, June 2. Four days later Queen Elizabeth made Edmund a Knight.
4 ways to reach extraordinary:
#1. Reach for something you really want.
Know what matters to you.
Forget about climbing Everest until you know you must.
Tenzing Norgay attempted to summit Everest six times before he and Hillary attained it.
How deep is your desire? Forget about aspirations you should have. My coach likes to say, “Don’t should on yourself.” Why struggle with things that don’t matter to you?
People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.
Sir Edmund Hillary
#2. Accept what you can’t do.
You’re not good at everything; you suck at many.
Becoming extraordinary requires brutal honesty.
Small doses of over-confidence enable you to reach high, but arrogance guarantees failure.
#3. Let others do their jobs.
You can’t climb Everest and carry your own gear.
People who reach extraordinary depend on others. Sir Hillary depended on Norgay and many others. Trying to do everything is like climbing with rocks in your pockets.
Do less to become extraordinary.
#4. Don’t carry elephants.
Confront issues quickly and directly.
You can’t climb high with elephants in your pack.
Practice kind candor.
How do leaders reach high goals?
What prevents leaders from reaching high goals?
As the famous quote goes: “We need to be reminded more often than instructed”.
Dan, today you reminded me that it took a village to get me to where I am right now. I experienced a renewed realization and appreciation for those I have depended on.
“You can’t climb Everest and carry your own gear.” will guide my day today :), thank you!
Thanks Daniel. It’s a pleasure to be useful. As the years pass, I continue to realize how much people have contributed to my journey. Nearly all of them are under-appreciated.
Your expression, “it took a village,” is well taken. Cheers.
Dan, this reminds me that we can achieve extraordinary things if we don’t care much about who gets credit. So is it the credit we seek or the accomplishment?
Both: We seek the challenge and the acknowledgement of our efforts. Even if we fail, we want the recognition that we tried to do something more, a little extra.
Thanks for jumping in Jennifer. Acknowledgement feels great. It seems like there’s a difference between enjoying acknowledgement and doing things FOR acknowledgement. Having said that, perhaps we do more things for acknowledgement that we might like to admit.
Thanks Pete. What a healthy reminder. In the case of Edmund and Tenzing, Edmund definitely received more notoriety. But they needed Tenzing to succeed.
If Tenzing had been worried about getting the credit, he wouldn’t have made it at all.
Interestingly, neither one realized how much notoriety would come their way because of their accomplishment.
Dan, “You’re not good at everything. You suck at so many.” “Arrogance guarantees failure.” More true words have never been spoken. Wow! Thanks!
Thanks Charleton. Reading those words again stings a little. 🙂