A lesson in positivity!

This year was the year, the year after the nightmare before. 2021, it is safe to say, hasn’t quite reached the sparkling heights of our expectations. Not yet anyway.

The pandemic has made plenty of events, gatherings and projects untenable. It will probably not come as a surprise to you, then, that my expedition to the North Pole for the David Shepherd Foundation has also fallen to the list of cancelled events.

Now, when you have been dreaming about something since you were 8 and working on it daily for over two-and-a-half years, the first emotion you feel when it is cancelled is, undoubtedly disappointment.

However, I’m a big believer that changing your perspective on an event drastically alters the impact it has on your life.

There's nothing wrong with feeling low, sad or depressed. We can’t always control that aspect of our lives and emotions. However, we can control how we react in the long term; let's not let these events take hold of our lives.

My expedition is on hold, not cancelled. There are a huge amount of positives to come from this, one of which is cementing my data collection research methods to ensure they are as robust as possible.

I'm now heading to Greenland in April to take on the Arctic Circle Trail giving me the chance to really test myself in Arctic conditions. I’m going to be better prepared for an attempt on the Pole in 2022. It’s a change of focus but I’m still aiming at the final goal; a successful North Pole expedition. I’m formulating my data collection and building a great partnership with the Scientific Exploration Society. My research will focus on similar themes; the impacts lower atmospheric warming is having on our planet and the ways in which YOU can make a change. It also means my amazing equipment partners, Páramo Clothing and Cotswold Outdoor will have their products tried and tested in astonishing surroundings.

For me, it means a chance to explore an incredible country in an awesome part of the world. Build, test and prepare for the main event in 2022.

An event is what you make of it. Something initially disappointing does not have to create overall disappointment in your life. Change how you perceive an event and this will change the outcome. In any case, Greenland was on my bucket list so this is a chance to tick it off a year or so earlier!

If you are struggling with purpose try my Effective Goal Setting Seminar on my website.

Stay positive and keep on moving forward.

‘Tomorrow will be a better day’ - Captain Sir Tom Moore

Tom Hicks B'13