For four days in early March, I skied the four mountains in Aspen, Colorado including Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, Buttermilk (on a fresh powder day!) and Aspen Mountain.

 

I can see why skiers crowd these mountains, especially the world famous Aspen Mountain, but for my friend and World Cup Ski Coach, Jeff Hopkins, Aspen Highlands is where earth touches heaven.

 

At Aspen Highlands, there are no lines, it’s easy to get a seat for lunch in the lodge/brewery, and the runs aren’t crowded.This is double-black-diamond territory for experts only, so experience and skill play a major role.

 

I've been skiing since I was five years old - so that’s 54 years of experience. However, over the last several years I've only been skiing with two thoughts in mind:

1. Time to go! (and I tend to ski fast)
2. Holy sh*%, I’m going too fast! I’ve got to get back in control.

 

As a result, I stopped progressing and skiing moguls and highly challenging trails because it was too exhausting and it was getting dangerous.

 

Jeff’s coaching completely transformed my skiing, and we tackled the bumps, powder, and steep forests of pine and aspen trees.

 

I also learned three key things about life and leadership from the experience:

 

1. More language = more power.

The average American has two or three words for snow: snow, flurries, and blizzard.  Meanwhile, Eskimos have 36 words for snow.  This gives them many useful ways to work with snow and ice, so they flourish in it.  

 

Skiers have many more words for snow including: “packed powder”, “frozen granular” and even “corn” in the spring.

 

Learning new phrases like “finishing the carved turn” and “relate to where the shin is in the boot” allowed me to build form and control. 

 

It was a complete game-changer from my usual way of thinking and after each run, I was ready for another.  I ended every day invigorated instead of exhausted and in pain

 

That was a real breakthrough.

 

The more you take time to understand the language of a pursuit you want to master, the more you will discover beyond what you believe you know. You’ll accomplish your goals more powerfully, effectively, and with greater ease.

 

One way to do that if you’re making a career move or job change, is to listen to our podcast .  The recruiters we interview will provide powerful insights and you’ll pick up new distinctions in the words and language you hear.

2. Balance

I learned a new relationship - between my shin and the front cuff of my ski boot.  I never knew that that kind of attention was critical to high performance and balance. If my shin isn't touching the front cuff of my boot, I'm probably leaning back too far.

I learned that when I slightly pivot only from my hips without moving the rest of my body, my shoulders will follow - everything below the knees can then be dynamic. 

 

I developed a sense for how to move these body parts in distinct and intentional ways, rather than just throwing the whole mass of my bones and meat down the mountain.  This helped me find consistent and increased balance while controlling speed.

 

So how does that translate to work/life balance and career planning?

 

When you search for companies that are hiring, notice if they highlight policies and actually support and implement what it takes for people to enjoy time with family and work/life balance.

 

You can even be more balanced in your search!  If you are currently working, carve out an hour every day to focus on your transition. Even at a temporary cost to your time management, you’ll create a more balanced professional situation long term if you make that investment.  We’ve seen people get multiple job offers with that level of time commitment.

 

If you're not currently working, dedicate a solid four hours every day to your job search.  You’ll do great!

3. Relax, practice, repeat.

 

I remember having a frustrated conversation with Jeff when we were halfway through the first day of my new training:

 

Me: “I don't think I can put this together. I don't know how to pivot my hip without pivoting my shoulders.”

 

“I can’t get my head around jamming my knees uphill and moving the downhill ski forward to complete the turn.  My muscle memory is getting in the way.”

 

“Let’s call it quits for today!”

 

Jeff: “No way man - you got this.  Keep going!”

 

Whenever you're learning a new array of concepts, developing new skills and trying to integrate all the moving parts, it can be intense and potentially disheartening - especially when they don't come together right away. 

 

Similarly, your coach’s helpful reminders and tips may sound like criticism in an intense moment such as this.  They sure did for me.

 

I learned that in these moments, it’s important to relax, take a breath, and allow your subconscious mind to absorb this information.

 

Then, you can begin to move from “conscious incompetence” to “unconscious competence” (aka second nature). 

 

If you're studying something cerebral: relax, practice, observe mistakes, make corrections. Then repeat!  

 

Relax, practice, adjust. Relax, practice, adjust. 

 

This can be applied to anything in life.

 

Specifically, I started noticing the difference this made beyond my skiing. I altered my walking gait and my approach to carrying all that gear, and when talking to strangers, family and clients.

 

It's like I went to a transformational retreat simply by learning powerful new techniques from a World Cup Ski Coach!

 

The job market can be a challenging trail!  There are multiple “no’s” for every “yes” so the mindset of relax and practice is important. 

 

Next time you go on an interview or meet someone for networking, try that out.

 

Relax, practice and adjust.

 

Got another interview? Rinse and repeat.

 

But, keep going!

 

So, how about you? 

 

When have you acquired life-changing lessons from unrelated experiences or everyday events?  If so inspired, tell us about it in the comment section below.

 

If you would explore having a career transition expert to support you with your resume, LinkedIn profile, or anything related to managing a leadership career you love, you can request a free vision and strategy session.  We’ll explore your long-term and short-term career goals together and begin to “carve a turn” into how to achieve them.

If you would like more meaningful insights and facts to make a smooth job change, you'll enjoy our free myth-busting webinar, click here for more information.