Stephen Covey was mostly right when he said
Begin with the end in mind."
The problem with Big Hairy Audacious Goals is that they often act as a warm and fuzzy, comfy cozy blankie that gets wrapped around your head and torso so tightly it prevents you from doing what you really need—and are scared—to do to get there, namely take that 1st, 2nd, 4th, 100th, 1024th step day after week after month after quarter after year to develop the habits to develop the skills to develop the experience to develop the confidence to actually reach and hold onto and enjoy your BHAG.
To reach your destination you do need a destination—a clear goal—no doubt about it.
But here are some little-known facts about what it takes to climb Mt Everest.
Previous Experience
To even get accepted by a guide to take you up to Everest they want to see that you've climbed at least one mountain of 8,000 meters.
Support Staff
There is typically one support person, i.e. Sherpa/guide, cooks, etc. for every climber.
Fees
Permits alone from Nepal and Tibet run $8,000 to $10,000, and that's just to have the right to climb the mountain!
Expenses
If you are cheap and/or an extreme risk-taker you can go it alone and pay as little as $30,000 to get to the top of Everest. If you want a Personal Sherpa Guide expect to pay around $40,000.
Want a Group Western Guide? Budget $50,000 to $65,000.
Want a custom trip? That'll run you 6-figures, no problem.
Time
Allow 6-9 weeks for the actual climb, not counting the years of physical and mental preparation.
As you can see, it takes a lot more than a vision board with pictures of Mt Everest to get you to the top, but having that picture is important.
The other key to reaching your summit is having an experienced Sherpa in the form of mentors and coaches.
Who Is Your Sales Sherpa?
Many times I have written that "it's hard to read the label from inside the bottle."
It's hard to do what it takes day in and day out, up before dawn, at it until after dark for years to prepare to reach your sales and business summit.
That's why the smart, the motivated, the committed join mastermind groups, hire business coaches, and surround themselves with people who support their efforts. (And distance themselves from people who do not support them.)
Remember the adage "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with" by Jim Rohn?
To reach your business summit you need to sell more, faster, at higher margin, with less stress (and ideally you do that while having more fun.)
To sell more you need to develop your sales and marketing skills. You need to craft then deliver a powerful message in a powerful manner and get in front of more people.
You need to implement systems that help you grow your profit without growing your staff.
You need to add staff wisely.
Then do all of the above more often, every day for a year.
Then look at your bank account and smile. Then prepare to do it again.
Since enrolling in a 12-week private group sales training program for $600 in 2005 then hiring that coach for one-on-one coaching for $10,000 in 2006, I've always made more money and grown my passive income, reach, and exposure.
I was committed to growth.
Are you?
Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.
