- Thomas Paine

See also:

1. Inspirational Quote about Persistence [via Thomas Edison] Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize...
2. Inspirational Quote about Failure [via Thomas Edison] If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t...
3. Inspirational Quote about Perseverance via Margaret Thatcher You may have to fight a battle more than once...
4. Leadership Skills: Perseverance [Todd Albery Interview] Note from Regis: This is the first post in Dot...
5. Inspirational Quote about Commitment to Success [via Christian D Larson] The following “I promise…” statements were sent to me by...

Do anything you want, just set your mind to it.

- Will Steger

I had the opportunity to hear Will Steger‘s keynote speech at the Live Green expo in Duluth, MN on September 7, 2008.  While Will’s keynote primarily focused on his first-hand observations of the changing climate at the poles of our planet, his thoughts on life were equally fascinating.

How DO you become an explorer?

Will lead the first dogsled traverse of Antartica, the first dogsled trip without re-supply to the north pole, and countless other expeditions.  When I heard him speak, it was clear his inspiration and lessons for becoming an explorer are directly usable in any context (not just polar exploration)!  For example, you may be innovating and challenging conventional thinking in your current career.  Or, maybe you’re a teacher trying to find the inspiration to push the boundaries of education.  Whatever the case may be, I found Will’s story so relevant that I had to share it here.

3 Ways to Become An Explorer

Tip #1 – Leverage the freedom you have

Will grew up in a household with 3 simple rules.  Outside of these rules, he was given the freedom to do pretty much whatever he wanted.

1. Get good grades
2. Stay out of trouble with the law
3. Pay for things yourself

There is a lesson here for leaders, project managers, educators, and others: give your people the freedom to innovate (with some simple rules to follow), and they will AMAZE you.  It can be scary, and you might get some unfavorable results, but in the end, you go places with them that you never imagined were possible.

Tip #2: Seek inspiration from magazines, and travel places you’ve never been

Will got his climbing inspiration from reading National Geographic, a magazine that typically takes it’s readers far away from where they physically are located on the planet.  This forces the reader to dream, visualize, and wonder what such places are like.  I once read the Dalai Lama recommends visiting one completely new place every year.  I love that idea, and try to practice it annually.

What magazines, books, blogs, or people help you dream?  What trips have you taken lately that push you out of your comfort zone?  When was the last time you sifted through magazines relevant to your career, and non-relevant magazines too, searching for applicable ideas?

Tip #3: Just do it!

When he was fifteen, Will built a boat and sailed it down the Mississippi, from Minneapolis/St. Paul to New Orleans.  He set his mind to exploring, and then he got busy doing it.

How much time do you spend truly doing things you are passionate about every day?  It may sound crazy, but I love internet marketing.  Always have, probably always will.  The desire to be the best internet marketer possible gets me going each morning more than the seriously big cup of coffee on my desk.  If you’ve found a passion but aren’t investing time in it, that’s just as tough as not finding a passion to begin with!  Make the time, and just do it.

Bonus Tip: Persevere like Will Steger

Check out these stats of a Will Steger expedition to cross Antarctica:

• 3,700 miles, 220 days
• 1 dozen mountain ranges to go over
• 56-day storms
• Temperature: -30 degrees farenheit
• Wind Chill: -80 degrees farenheit

And what does Will do?  He endures these extremes and brings back amazing lessons for those who will never go there.

The next time you are working on a project that takes you to extremes, remember to take some notes along the way to teach others.  They’ll benefit tremendously from the “places” you explore.

See also:

1. 3 Leadership Development Lessons As I’ve mentioned in my other posts on leadership, leadership...
2. 7 Client Service Lessons from Graham Skidmore This post is part of the One Goal Project to...
3. 3 Lessons From My Dad Take time to reflect. Source: Richard0 / CC BY 2.0...
4. Dan Gilbert Video: Lessons on Entrepreneurship, Business and Life There are some great lessons and perspective on entrepreneurship and...
5. Joel Gurman Interview: Leadership Lessons from Quicken Loans and Snap Fitness Building your business is about not being satisfied.  (source: Visualpanic...