..... I am climbing peaks on three continents and one of them is over 6,000m. Kilimanjaro is not one of them (for those who have asked). I’m also leaving for London in 72 hours for an incredible week with a fantastic client (one of the most revered in their industry) and their brand partner (one of the most recognized names in luxury in the world). This upcoming week has been two years in the making for this team. It’s an exciting and big week for all of us!
It's also the sixth week I have been traveling this year so far. And that means training for big mountains has required a lot of unconventional training, flexibility, and creativity. I don’t travel light. I love the triumphant carry-on-only folks who can pack for a week in a zip-lock bag - but that will never accommodate my training gear. When you see me checking in at the airport, I look like I am moving in.
In my luggage are climbing packs, boots & climbing shoes, trail running shoes, trail packs… you get the idea. Every day I am on the road includes a significant workout. I don’t often share them, even with my teammates, because they can occur at any hour of the day and sometimes in strange places.
I started laying the foundation for these climbs last year in Q1. Here is what I’ve learned along the way:
💫 Don’t let anyone else define your “normal”. When you stop adhering to convention, you open yourself up to a huge world of possibility.
💫 You know if you really want something by what you are willing to do to get it. I look forward to getting up at 3am to tackle a huge solo in the dark by the glow of my headlamp.
💫 You must be prepared to be stubborn and single-minded when people around you want you to do less, slow down, want you to prioritize other things, or question if you can achieve it at all. Thankfully, this happens less now because most people know my answer. But you can’t expect other people to understand or automatically support your dreams. It’s your life, and if you don’t drive it forward, you will be the only one left with that less-than result.
💫 Great things take a lot of time, planning, and commitment. Last year, I lost 26lbs and shifted my body composition to be ready for this work. I was in good shape before, but I worked on my strength, endurance, speed, and agility. I acquired new skills and diversified my cross training. I’ve been working the plan for a long time.
💫 You must have a mental coaching model for tackling fear, uncertainty, and doubt. These are things that every human has in their life, and none of them can be managed by crossing your fingers, ignoring them, or gutting it out - that’s a recipe for crisis at the worst time. I have developed my own mental model for how I coach through them and transform them.
If you are reading this thinking about something you really want, this might be your signal to go get it. Start laying those plans, get stubborn, and get it done. Human potential is magical. Use yours!