By Julie Lord
I’ve always had an adventure mindset. As a little girl my parents encouraged me to do more, see more and be more, to see every day as a chance to achieve something new and exciting. Even now I seek out challenge in every new day and try to make the most of my time.
“Adventure” is one of those words that is very subjective and conjures up different pictures in the minds of different people. Whilst some people think of safaris and mountain climbing, others consider a trip to the supermarket with the children to be adventurous enough!
A lot depends on age, life stage, physical/mental health and experience.
I’ve thrown myself out of planes, been white water rafting, rally driving, scuba diving, travelled extensively and generally consider myself an adventurous person.
But I didn’t realise until recently, how important having an adventurous mindset is, to having a successful and fulfilling life. Indeed, some of the most interesting people I meet, can be described as adventurous.
Even when the going gets tough, if you have adventure as your mindset you will look for ways around a problem rather than giving up.
Richard Branson – a well-known adventurer- says:
“We can all achieve great things, if we put our mind to it. By embracing the spirit of adventure, we can test ourselves, push our boundaries, and laugh a lot along the way.”
Adopting a bit of the Indiana Jones adventurer mentality can actually be good for your personal (and business) development.
Successful people, especially those in business, have to be brave – to try new ideas and push boundaries, to innovate and be early adopters of new technology. They have to take risks and be adventurous.
‘Want to go on an adventure?’ is one of the world’s most exciting questions. People who ask that question and those who answer it with a resounding “YES!” will always be successful and fulfilled.
Adventure, is about doing the things that others think are crazy, carrying on when everyone else would give up, embracing the feeling of being uncomfortable, scared and thrilled, all at the same time.
I’ve taken some big personal and business risks over the years, but an adventurous spirit is infectious and spills over into the way we run Magenta. It helps to build a better team where innovation, novelty and creative thinking drive growth and success.
Adventurers try things that have never been done before.
According to Stephen Johnson in his book Wonderland, throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation lies wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused. We are hardwired to be adventurers.
As financial planners, we are all looking for creative solutions for our clients. But did you know that when we solve a problem, our physical body provides a surge of dopamine, – the natural drug which makes us happier.
So it’s a win win – if we are adventurous and think differently for our clients, they benefit from great solutions and we benefit physically as well as financially.
When you run your life and business with a sense of adventure, friends, family, employees and clients are kept on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what you will do next.
If you want to know if you have the financial resources to inject a little more adventure into your life, do give us a call for a friendly chat. Go on BE BRAVE!