Why Airplanes Fly and Most People Don't

It never ceases to amaze me that airplanes can fly. These big, heavy metal bodies loaded down with lots of people and baggage are able to take off and fly through the sky.

Airplanes are able to fly because they are propelled to move forward, and their fast, forward motion, combined with air coming off their wings that creates an upward force called a lift, enables the plane to take off. This continued forward speed of the plane creates ongoing lift that keeps it in the air. When a plane slows down, the lift is reduced, which causes the plane to land and eventually come to a stop.

It’s my observation that most people don’t “fly” in business because their heavy workload and their other baggage, including—call it reluctance—keep them from getting in motion. Without forward motion there’s no lift, and a plane cannot fly.

It’s the same for all of us. We need forward motion to fly. And we need to continue the momentum of forward motion for us to continue to fly. Like airplanes, once we slow down our motion, our flying will slow down, too, and eventually come to a stop.

Here’s a simple lesson: If you want to fly in your business, be like a plane, and make sure that every day you are in forward motion and propelling your business upward.