I recently watched the TV documentary ‘Coldest race on Earth’ which followed James Cracknell, a double Olympic Gold Medallist,  as he competed in an incredible extreme cycle race across one of the most hostile places on the planet…. the frozen Arctic Yukon Trail.  Over seven hundred kilometres in temperatures well below minus 40 degrees Celcius. It was painful to watch and although I have huge admiration for his commitment, strength and endurance I certainly don’t think he could have enjoyed the journey.

Previously I had seen the programme which followed him as he ran and cycled in one of the hottest places on earth….Death Valley California. Sadly that ended in a catastrophic accident when he was hit on the back of his head from behind by the wing mirror of a truck that passed him at around 75 miles an hour.  He almost died as a result.

Thankfully he is continuing to recover and the recent race in the remotest part of Northern Canada was apparently his way of determining if he still has the mental ability to face and conquer these amazing challenges he sets himself.

There is of course a reason for me mentioning this. 

This series of articles I’ve been writing is also about a journey……your journey.

This is the journey which will take you from where you are today to where eventually you would like to be. It may be a fairly long journey and so it’s important that you enjoy it. But this isn’t a race. There’s no great rush. It’s not an endurance test.  Though to make it a great journey you will have to practice self discipline and determination.

In itself success is not a destination. You may well extend your horizons as you go along. Success is what you will begin to enjoy as soon as you take off in the direction you want your life to go.

There will inevitably be some challenges along the way and some setbacks to contend with. Nobody will be immune from that. But with your positive attitude and boundless enthusiasm you will deal with each and every one of these and you’ll continue to move forward. And there will be lots of occasions where you will feel fantastic as you achieve many of the short term and mid-term goals you have set yourself along the way. Savour those moments when they occur. You will have earned them.

Treat every day as a new adventure.  None of us know how many we have left. That’s why we can’t have a final destination.  It’s the journey that counts.

I’d like to share a few more thoughts with you which I hope will assist you in making your ‘journey of a lifetime’ a brilliant success, so watch this space!