To Launch A Rocket
I visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida last month. It was incredible. The rockets are massive. The fuel tanks alone reach tens of stories into the sky.
In addition to their size, rockets are complex. The first space shuttle to carry people had over 2 million different systems!
I was awe-struck by the size of these machines, but I was even more shocked when I learned about the earliest missions into space. After decades of research, countless failed launches, and millions and millions of dollars the United States finally put 1 satellite in orbit.
It weighed just 11 pounds.
All of the men and women, all of the work, all of the research, all of the machinery and all of the fuel. All of the heartbreak as metal skyscraper after skyscraper blew up in flames… all to finally get 11 pounds into space.
The guys at NASA are smart, but they still worked for years before seeing any results.
Traveling Back To Earth…
Unless you work at SpaceX you’re probably not trying to launch satellites into orbit. You’ve probably got other goals. Some are large and others seem smaller and easier.
Like most of us, I’ve got some goals of my own. Visiting the Kennedy Space center gave me a new perspective on these plans.
I questioned my assumptions about the time & effort required to achieve the goals I had set, especially the small ones that I almost take for granted will happen.
“What are my ‘small’ 11 pound goals?”
“Which goals look small, and therefore I’m not dedicating enough time to them?”
“What about by big 11 ton goals? How much more difficult are they than I expect?”
After putting my goals into perspective I came to these conclusions:
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Even if a goal seems easy, you should go ‘all in’ and push as hard as you can to achieve it. It’s probably much more difficult than you expect. If in the end it is as easy as you think you’ll just achieve it faster and beat your expectations.
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It’s best to only go after goals if the desired result is worth many times the effort you expect to put in. Most projects are more complex than they initially look and you’ll quit if the reward isn’t worth the unexpected effort.
Final Thoughts
It took a lot of planning, money, brains and effort to launch those first rockets into space.
Finally there was a victory, but it was small. 11 pounds.
Lots of struggle, work, and costs went into that first 11 pounds but now we have private companies sending men to Mars.
Was it worth the effort? Are any of your big goals worth the effort? Only you can decide.
When you think about yourself, your own goals, and where you want to be in the next decade, just remember that rockets aren’t meant to spend their days tethered safely inside the hanger.
They need to launch.
Do you have a goal you’re not taking action on? I’d like to help. Reach out to me via my contact form and let’s schedule a time to talk.
