As the operations manager of a large team, I see daily how people get stuck in habits. "We do it this way because we've always done it this way," I hear over and over again. That frustrates me. I want change, movement. But how do you break through that autopilot?

As a partner in a consulting firm, my work is all about growth. More revenue, more clients, more impact. But while I'm always keen on that, I noticed that sometimes my team didn't have the same speed. They were working hard, but it felt like they were mostly executing what we, the partners, came up with. Pro-activity was a bit on the low side.

As an entrepreneur, I am used to steering my own course. I make my choices based on experience, knowledge and intuition. That has brought me far, but somewhere I felt that something more was possible. When I came across the trip to New Zealand with Blue Lantern, the combination of physical challenge and time for reflection especially attracted me.

I knew something had to change. My days were filled with calling, arranging, pulling on everything and everyone and moving on. My business was running fine, my team was doing its job, yet it felt like everything was resting on me. I was tired. Not just physically, but mostly mentally. I felt like I couldn't let go of control, that everything depended on me.