Climbing Is a Journey Within Yourself

The term overnight success is often used to describe those who burst on to the scene in a new and exciting way. Whether it is a company, a product, or even a personality. We never see them coming.

All of a sudden they appear, we can become jealous by the success and notoriety. Thinking it is unfair, or they somehow got luckier than we did. They must know somebody, or some other excuse as to why they are there, and you are still….well, wherever you are.

I was stuck with this thought as I climbed a mountain last weekend. The climb up was torturous. My legs were burning, my breathing was heavy. I was sweaty, cold, tired and growing even more tired with each step. I had a goal, and that was to get to the peak at the top of the climb. All I could do was look up, continue to put one step in front of the other and take steps towards that goal. It did not matter if anyone passed me (nobody did by the way) and it didn’t matter if I lost sight of the guy in front of me. There was only one goal, and that was up. Look up, walk up, hike up, keep moving up.

Same with success.

We are only ever looking up. Focused on where we want to be, or who is doing what we want to do. Never taking a moment to look back. Look at our surroundings. Look at our space, who is coming up with us. Who is taking the lead, are they doing things the same way. Did they take a different approach to the same peak, how is your approach.

How far have you come from where you began. The physically tough portion of the journey is always up. As I emerged from the trees up on the mountain I began to realize the most difficult part was still in front of me. The distance was shorter, but the path more difficult. As I sipped from my water I thought about this.

Look how far I have come. This next and last section would be the most difficult, many times I contemplated turning around. Try again another day. By this point I was cold and getting colder from the sweat soaked through my sweatshirt. As the wind began to blow, with no protection from the trees. Nobody would have faulted me for turning around on that particular day, only to try again another time. I wouldn’t have been able to forget. It was my own conscious that made my decision to keep moving.

As I made my decision to carry on. Carefully maneuvering my way across ice covered boulders, slipping and sliding on ice. Looking for different places to put my feet to gain traction. Strategically placing my poles to use as crutches for when my feet could only hold me up. Little pieces of rock barely sticking above the snow and ice to hold me as I took another step up. Slowly and methodically I put one foot in front of the other. The last 100 feet of path with nothing but slush, ice, and thin snow cover to try and navigate up, using my poles with every step. Supporting me as I dug in the side of my boot as best I could into the ever rapidly freezing slush. Eventually making it to the top. The accomplishment had been met, I had persevered.

As I sat on top of the peak looking around at all the beauty that nature had provided me with I couldn’t help but compare this to my writing journey. This journey is young and just getting started, my legs burn as I write each and every day. Setting goals and focusing in on the process. Making sure I methodically plot my way along. This is the long trail that you realize every single person we see doing what we want to do had to walk. They had the same path, before you call someone an overnight success you may want to think about where you are on this trail. Most likely they started before you. They may have been taken the path in a straight line. Begin to look around you instead of just to the top, see the people that are on the same journey as you. Encourage, enjoy, engage with them. Enjoy the different landscapes as you travel.

The Parking Lot: Many never leave here. The difficulty to start is overwhelming
The Bush: Often many get here only to become lost and frustrated, trying to find a way back to the car
The Forest: Most who find themselves here never realized how close they are to getting out of the trees
The Alpine: You can see the top, this is the most difficult part of your journey often slipping backward. Persevere and you will eventually reach your destination.
The Peak: You have made it where you wanted when you set out. Now look around and find the next peak to climb. Never rest upon the mountain. The weather can change or the next climber can quickly take your place.

. . .

Reaching the top is where I was flooded with these thoughts. Now that I had gotten here, getting down was going to be way more dangerous. Being on top and climbing ended up being easier, the way down was filled with slips and falls, never really gaining traction or feeling in control.

With this in mind as you reach the top or your perceived top in the field in which you pursue always look ahead to create more climbs. Continue to challenge yourself to be better, do better work. Do more work, create the difficulty in which you are not comfortable with. Never rest within yourself otherwise you can begin to slide, and the ice is not a place you want to try and catch yourself.

Everyone wants to live on the top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it. — Andy Rooney

Always look up at where you want to go. Never think that you are alone on the path. Remember to take the time to look around to see how far you’ve come. It is always toughest before you hit the peak. Keep climbing.

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This post was previously published on Change Becomes You.

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