It always happens this way.
On a recent family trip to Glacier National Park, seven of us decided to go on a 11.3 mile hike to Grinnell Glacier. We all started together, but naturally, some people were faster than others. In short order, our group was strewn across a long stretch of the trail.
No problem. It was not a race. We hiked in smaller groups and made a pact to meet at the glacier. Our whole group arrived within a few minutes of each other, and we all had our own stories about beautiful vistas and wild animals along the way. The entire day was a delightful adventure.
Our experience on the trail reminded me of the fast and slow hikers we deal with every day.
No Small Challenge
In the book, The Goal, Alex Rogo is a scout leader who is trying to get all the boys to the campsite before sunset. Of course, getting a group of young boys to keep pace is no small challenge. Some scouts go fast while others go very slow.
One boy is the slowest of all, Herbie. As a result, the gap between the fastest boys and Herbie is miles long.
At first Alex tries to get the boys in front to stop and wait. But the moment they start walking again, the gap grows.
Herbie’s Pace
Finally, Alex decides to put Herbie in front and line up all the other boys in order of speed: slowest to fastest. It seems weird to put the fastest boys at the back of the line, but as soon as he does, they start to move as a single group.
There’s just one problem. Because the whole group is now moving at Herbie’s pace, they will arrive late. Alex then has another idea. “What can I do to make things easier for Herbie?”
Alex takes the heavy supplies out of Herbie’s backpack and distributes them to others. As soon as he does, Herbie can walk faster, which improves the speed of the whole group. They end up making it to camp in good time.
Identify Herbie
In your life, who or what is your “slowest hiker”?
What is the obstacle that is slowing down progress or holding you back from achieving what really matters to you?
It could be someone around you, or it could be something within you. Perfectionism, self-doubt and addictions are common inner constraints.
To be honest, the greatest obstacle could be distraction. Globally speaking, the average person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media every day. In one year, that equals twenty-two 40-hour work weeks. Imagine what could be accomplished if that much time was devoted to a specific goal.
Start Moving
One of the best ways to arrive at our intended destination is to identify our “slowest hiker” and either remove that constraint or do anything and everything in our power to help that hiker pick up the pace. If that hiker moves faster, everything else in our lives will start moving, too.
*“The Goal” is by Eliyahu M Goldratt & Jeff Cox
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Roger Ross
A native of Cambridge, Illinois, Roger has served as a pastor in Texas, the British Channel Island of Guernsey, and Illinois. While in Illinois, he led teams that planted two new churches and served for 10 years as the lead pastor of one of the largest United Methodist Churches in the Midwest. It was his privilege to serve as the Director of Congregational Excellence in the Missouri Conference before coming into his current role with Spiritual Leadership, Inc (SLI).
Roger now comes alongside pastors, non-profit leaders and their leadership teams as an executive coach, specializing in leadership that inspires change. As a side gig, he loves teaching evangelism and church planting as an adjunct professor at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas.
Other passions of his include SCUBA diving in warm blue water, Krispy Kremes, and board games with family and friends. He also has a weakness for golf.
Roger is the author of three books, Meet The Goodpeople: Wesley’s 7 Ways to Share Faith, Come Back: Returning to the Life You Were Made For, and Come Back Participant Guide, all through Abingdon Press.
Now for the best part. Roger is married to Leanne Klein Ross, and they live Bloomington, Illinois. God has blessed them with two adult children, a son-in-law, several tropical fish, and one adorable granddog.
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