Whenever I find myself hesitant to move forward, I have a strategy that motivates me into action every time. I climb a mountain.

In a previous post where I discussed my past lives (not what you think), I said:

“If I don’t think anything I’m doing now is important enough to remember later, then I’m not using this life to its fullest. Time to climb a mountain.“

I said this because one of the forgotten highlights of my past was actually climbing a mountain, but this statement resonates with me in a broader sense as well.

It’s Your Mountain

Mountains are big. Sometimes they’re so big, you can’t even see the peak as extends above the clouds. Nonetheless, climbing a mountain is an easy goal because the end result is clear— you need to reach the top.

The goal may not always be to literally climb a mountain, but mountain climbing gives me a different perspective on my goals.

There’s only one direction: Up

If you want to reach the peak, then there’s only one way to get there— you have to go up. If we want to accomplish something, we need to take the paths and make choices that will move us toward the desired end result.

Keep moving

Rest is okay, but if you’re goal is to reach the top of a mountain, sitting around on a ledge is only going to delay things. Progress may be slow at times, but always move forward.

Distractions are deadly

Solitaire and cell phones are for people who are fine with staying on flat (and safe) ground. When you’re climbing a mountain, you need focus. A momentary distraction can cause you lose your grip and fall. Don’t risk losing the progress you’ve made by wasting time with distractions.

Daily Question

Each day I ask myself if I’m climbing a mountain. Climbing a mountain is hard work and there will likely be struggles along the way.  Most of all though, each step you take should move you toward something you want to accomplish. If it’s a mountain you want to climb, then the struggle is not something to avoid, it’s something to embrace.

Staying on flat ground is safe and easy (and boring). Climbing a mountain— reaching for something that seems out of reach— is neither safe nor easy (and never boring). It takes courage and persistence. But it’s also exciting to do something that can impact your life as well as the lives of others.

The best thing about finishing a climb and reaching the top? A view you have never seen before (a new perspective): Smaller mountains are child’s play and even bigger mountains— once scary just to think about— don’t seem all that insurmountable any longer.

Is it time to climb a mountain?