Over the weekend, I went to a resort in the mountains and did some hiking. I even completed a rock scramble which started at ground-level and took me all the way up the mountain to the highest point where there’s a historic tower.
Before I started the scramble-hike, I thought I could handle it. It didn’t look that hard.
But once I was deeper into it, I realized I was wrong.
Not only was I hiking up the side of a mountain, but I was doing it in $30 hiking shoes and there was no guardrail. Which meant if I fell, I wasn’t just falling a few inches. I was potentially plummeting to my death and/or serious injury.
Yes. It was that serious of a hiking trail, and I’m an amateur at best.
Still, it looked like fun and I’m always up for a challenge. So I gave it a try.
Halfway through, I was already out of water and had to take several breaks to breathe and cool down. And a thought began to creep in… I was in over my head.
I had never done anything like this before and I wasn’t even sure if I could really make it to the end (‘cause, you know, the end was at the highest point of the mountain).
So I did what I always do when I’m deep into something and I start to feel overwhelmed: I focused on what was immediately in front of me and nothing else. I didn’t allow myself to look up and see how far I still had to go.
I didn’t allow myself to look down and fear for what could happen if I fell. I didn’t allow myself to worry about overheating in 80-degree weather with the sun beating down on me and no water left to drink.
I just focused on what was right in front of me. The next rock I had to scramble over. The next ladder I had to climb. The next crevice I had to squeeze myself through.
And as I did that, I made my way up the mountain, higher and higher, until I reached the top.
I was damn proud of myself after that hike. I did something I never thought I could (or would) do.
Afterward, I realized that whole experience had been a metaphor for life.
When you’re really deep into something—your career, your business, a launch or project—it’s so easy to get caught up in looking around, noticing the things to fear and worrying about what’s still to come. But if you can just put your head down and focus only on what’s immediately in front of you, be present, and deal with that hurdle or obstacle or whatever, without worrying about anything else, you eventually get where you want to go.
And you enjoy the journey a lot more that way. It’s hard to enjoy yourself when you’re stuck in worry or fear.
But when you’re just focused on what’s in front of you and not worrying or thinking about anything else, you will get it done, feel amazing and you’ll make progress that gets you to your end result.
