“Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with vision is making a positive difference.”
– Joel Barker, futurist
Nine years ago, I had a dream.
Over time, that dream shaped into Australia’s first indoor snow resort with beginner and elite ski runs, a huge, dedicated snow play area, cafes, a restaurant, day spa and hotel.
It’s “giant Esky” nickname was a good description of how it would work – insulate the inside like an icebox that would provide year-round perfect snow, perfect weather and perfect snow conditions in one of the hottest places on Earth.
Winter Sports World was granted State Significant Development Application approval on January 11, 2024.
Almost 12 months after it was lodged.
Two years after a design competition revealed the exterior look
And 6 years after the planning proposal was lodged in June 2018.
Financial advisors have been appointed; financial documents including IM, Data Room and 30-year cashflow forecasts completed, independently verified and benchmarked by global industry experts; and we’re in discussions with domestic and international institutional funders.
Preferred operators for the hotel, the snow attractions and food & beverage have been selected.
The builder will be selected within weeks.
Construction is on track to begin in the first half of 2025, with an open date of mid 2028.
It’s starting to get exciting now, and very real.
Nine years on from my “bolt from the sky” idea and Winter Sports World is more than a dream.
But it’s not quite a reality yet.
So how have I maintained motivation and drive on this long-term project?
Here’s my top 8 tips.
Breaking work into manageable milestones helps maintain motivation. Photo: David Hill, Deep Hill Media
Manageable milestones & tasks
When working towards a large vision, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. To stay on track, I break the vision down into clear milestones, then break each milestone into smaller, manageable steps. This approach transforms the large vision into a disciplined process, making it feel more achievable and less daunting. By focusing on one step at a time, you maintain momentum and ensure steady progress, which helps you stay motivated and avoid feeling lost in the big picture.
The Productivity Buzz suggests breaking down each milestone into smaller, manageable tasks to prevent feeling overwhelmed and maintain a steady stream of motivation.
Track progress regularly
I’m meticulous about tracking and documenting everything no matter how small, creating a tangible record of progress and momentum. This helps me stay focused and provides a sense of accomplishment, boosting confidence, motivation and reinforcing steady progress.
Regularly reviewing progress also allows me to adjust strategies to keep motivated and progressing and provides insight into any patterns or habits that may need adjustment to stay productive.
Build a supportive team
I surround myself with positive, motivated, knowledgeable and experienced people who are committed to the project’s success and most importantly, who I trust to have my back.
I’m not an expert on everything and recognise I can’t handle every task. So, I rely on experts with the necessary knowledge or experience and delegate tasks that would be better handled by others, allowing me to focus on what matters most.
Daily workouts are key to maintaining good physical and mental health. Photo: David Hill, Deep Hill Media
Scheduled breaks
Working on any long-term project can take a toll on your physical and mental health, especially when inevitable challenges and obstacles arise, and the project gathers momentum.
Bringing Australia’s first indoor snow resort to life involves many moving parts, an eye for detail, lots of meetings and travel and endless paperwork.
Every day is a new adventure.
But one thing never changes – my active morning routine.
Every morning without fail I’m up at 4.30am and go to my local gym or workout at home.
I’ll then go for a run along the riverbank before breakfast.
Not only is this routine good for my body and gives me energy, it helps clear my mind, refocus and commit to the day ahead, whatever that may bring.
Conscious purpose
As Winter Sports World gains momentum, I am finding more demands on my time and for my attention and it’s easy to agree to things that sound great at first glance but have questionable benefits for me or the projects.
I try to be more conscious and strategic about networking events, in-person meetings, subscriptions and memberships.
When motivation flickers during a long-term project, and Winter Sports World is but one I’ve been involved in, reconnecting with the “why” can reignite your drive, The Productivity Buzz recommends.
“Understanding the bigger purpose of your project reminds you of its importance, especially when you’re deep in the more monotonous aspects of the process.”
So, I remind myself that my “giant Esky” will generate more than 2,700 jobs, inject $2.5 billion into the Western Sydney and NSW economy and help swing the global spotlight onto the region through tourism.
I also visualise the end result, which is easy with the beautiful professionally prepared CGI renders, artists’ impressions and architectural drawings.
A design competition yielded the unique snow blizzard-inspired appearance of the Winter Sports World building. CGI render
Reframe problems as solutions
Challenges and setbacks are inevitable in long-term projects – they’re par for the course.
I’ve had enough experience with large scale development projects over the 28 years to know that reframing an obstacle as an opportunity rather than waste time, effort and money on fruitless arguments nearly always has a better outcome.
When a curve ball arises no matter how large, I take a breather, a backstep, then reset, and solve the problem with a different and/or higher mindset level of thinking.
The Winter Sports World plans have been tweaked many times, ending up for the better.
The height limit of the planning controls of 8.5m needed to be broken to get to 54m to facilitate the 300m advanced run. Overcoming this was a major challenge. One approach we took was to bring a crane to site, lifting a flag 54m into the air and capturing photos from over 35 vantage points with the proposed design. The results showed that the building wouldn’t be visible from most viewpoints, and even where it could be seen, it would not dominate the surrounding area.
Planning requirements mandated for the WSW to undergo a design competition even though at the time we thought we had a leading design. The risk was potentially losing control and all of what WSW represented. Parameters were negotiated and set, the design competition ended up yielding the appearance we have today: an international world leading snow blizzard-inspired design.
Accountability and support network
Regular check-ins and discussions with mentors and advisors helps keep my motivation high and holds me accountable.
I have a network of trusted people I consult with on every aspect of the project, speaking with different people about different elements.
Each one has gifted me tough love advice, fresh innovative ideas, solutions to problems and “Devil’s advocate” role playing which has caught many mistakes before they happened.
Being open to advice and change has often added a new, deeper dimension to the project and better opportunities and outcomes.
Most importantly
Persistence, patience and perseverance – the three P’s – are essential for turning my long-term vision into reality.
Persistence keeps me pushing forward, even when progress feels slow or obstacles arise.
Patience helps me maintain a steady pace, trusting that each small step contributes to the bigger picture.
Perseverance ensures that I stay committed, no matter how long the journey or how many challenges I face along the way.
Together, these qualities fuel my motivation and energy, helping me stay focused and on course, no matter what setbacks come my way.
With the three P's, I’m able to navigate the path to success with resilience and determination.
Staying the course with persistence, patience and perseverance. Photo: David Hill, Deep Hill Media