I still find it hard to believe there are people, who have never climbed a mountain! But these words are coming from a person who has just climbed another “world’s tallest” peak!
Here’s the foreword to this article: when I began to climb Alpine Mountains, I was totally unexperienced! I was not a super runner, hiker, or anything that would tell you that I could one day climb Mt. Everest, but I ended up doing just that in 2020. I had never climbed a mountain that required so much training and mental conditioning so I could survive weeks of being on a mountain with gale force winds blowing all around me. The fact is: in the beginning, I was not really set on climbing, PERIOD!
Put on Your Climbing Shoes! (They Need to be Strong!)
Once I laced up my boots and stood on top of my first true summit, I was hooked. I’m sure it helped me to have the opportunity to spend time in Silverton, Colorado, and climb some of the mountains there. But as a native of Charleston, South Carolina, I certainly did not see mountain climbing as a hobby I could do often. So, what changed? I had this crazy belief system that said, “I can,” and I did!
I’m an entrepreneur and at my core is the tenacious desire to tackle and conquer life’s challenges. Mountains come in all sizes and types. Mental mountains are just as challenging as physical mountains.
Plus, a set of circumstances where my mentor and good friend lost her battle to cancer, set the stage for me to spend the rest of my life championing cancer awareness. Raising money for this worthy cause continues to push me to climb and keeps me very busy.
Mountain Come in All Sizes
But without a doubt, most of the mountains we face revolve around our 9 to 5 schedules and our lives that can become riddled with appointments, deadlines, and unexpected challenges. Sometimes, the smaller the mountain, the harder the climb! I’m an Alpine Climber but my “feet on the ground” roles include wife, mom, daughter, financial advisor, Perfect Day engineer, and the list goes on just like yours. Along with this list comes a world of diverse mountain climbing . . . everyday.
I’m often asked now that I have been climbing for a while: How do you prepare to climb one of the world’s tallest peaks? Or how do you push through the challenge and not become overwhelmed by your circumstances?
Honestly, you tackle any mountain the same way whether it is on paper, waiting for you in a hospital room, or climbing a snowy, rocky surface. You listen, be determined to learn, and dig in to “do it!”
Seven Facts You Learn about Mountain Climbing
- Prepare for the trip This is the exciting part! I have had clients that just want to go to the top without any of the training. When you fail to prepare for the journey, you miss something crucial: you fail to grow in new areas. So, learn, read, study, do strength training (whatever that looks like), and get ready to go forward and go up!
- Knowledge is lifesaving! When I climbed Mt. Everest, it took days to get from base camp to the camp two. Sure, we were acclimating to the altitude changes, but we were also learning vital lessons that would be the difference between success and in this case, death! Don’t be in a hurry to run forward when you really need to learn how to walk well first!
- You can’t stay on the top forever! Mountain Climbing is addictive! (Just ask me.) The altitude high is real! But you must come down! No one lives above the clouds forever. The climb, the challenge would lose its flare. Even the highest mountain peak would become boring. So, we go down and usually through a valley in order to go back up to the top.
- Mountains Lie —I don’t listen to “mountain speak.” If I do, many times I would turn around! Mountains tell you they are tall, can’t be conquered, and are frightening! Or they may tell you that they are easy to conquer, so you don’t take the necessary time to train, prepare, or do the necessary work.
- Keep Your Focus – So many of my clients talk about losing their focus. They set goals—short, middle, and long range—but get tripped up along the way. Maybe they have a goal set for retirement and need to hold steady in times when the stock market is either up or down. Having that one true focus, keeps you centered. Believing in what you have brought together for your climb, makes the goal reachable. You don’t climb a tall mountain—whether it’s a health issue or growth within your company or a life shift—quickly. You plan, put goals into place, and work hard. I have met spouses who have lost their mates and think that within a couple of months they should be further up the emotional mountain of recovery! The answer is no! You can climb any mountain one step at a time at your pace. Keep your eyes on the ball and don’t take them off!
- Know How to Descend – Talk to anyone who has hiked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail and you will hear that person talk about how hard it is to adjust to life. It is the same in our jobs. Success is addictive! Conquer a mountain summit and more than likely, you are ready to plan your next adventure even before you put your boots away! We were made to climb, reach, and succeed.
- Celebrate – Be sure that you take time to enjoy your success! This is really important. When you achieve a goal be grateful, be excited, celebrate all the way around, and realize that you have done a great work!
I can show you how to go to the top of that mountain that you are facing! Take this opportunity to get my book (free) Perfect Day and learn how you can be finally free to climb and succeed! Or you can sign up for a free consult with me. Let’s get on the trail to more Perfect Days starting today!
