Keep Climbing: Overcoming The Struggles in Your Life
“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.”
- Molière
In every story of success there is a point of struggle followed by an action where the storyteller overcame the issue that caused the struggle. In every story of a person getting stuck there is a point of struggle followed by inaction, where the storyteller allowed the issue to stop them.
Read that again. I’ll wait.
Yes, it is that simple. MOVE. Keep moving forward. It may be in small steps, but you must find a way to continue to fight through whatever it is that is slowing you down.
Unless what you are trying to obtain is not a passion. Then it is easy to sit down and give up.
In my motivational talks I use a vertical rock wall to demonstrate perseverance. Mentally I have my audience climb this rock wall.
Early on it is easy and everyone is on board and moving up the wall. Then we hit a point where the climber must make a decision. They are at a height where if they fall, they will get seriously injured. I ask, “How many are willing to go on.” Even though this is a mental exercise you would be surprised on how many are willing to give up because something “might” happen.
For those who climb on we get a second point where they get stuck. It’s a big issue because if they fall from this height, they will surely not survive the fall. Several more will back out at this point of the exercise.
I ask those who are still with me, “How long will you be able to hold on before you fall to your death?” For those who are still on the wall I add one more thing to the equation. I forgot to tell them that they are not on their own. The most important person in the world is on the climb with them. And they cannot go on so you are connected to them. I ask the audience, “Now, how long will you hold on? Because if you quit you take the most important person in the world with you.”
The idea of perseverance is now amped up. I ask, “How many are still with me on the climb?” Not many hands are up. Nothing good is coming out of this climb and now they have someone else’s life in their hands.
Then I add the last layer, “On top of the rock wall is the answer to all your dreams. How many of you will not only hold on, but will find a way around being stuck?” All of the audience raise their hands. I laugh and say, “If you already quit you can’t go on.”
Why?
I do this exercise for three main reasons:
· To illustrate why you must have a reason before you ever start a journey. If not, you won’t have any reason to push through when you run into any resistance.
· To show that when you start this journey, you must become comfortable being uncomfortable.
· And finally, to reinforce that life is rarely an individual thing. Everyone that you care about will be affected when you are chasing your passion.
Are You Sure?
Now that you have done the “Rock Climbing Exercise” with me let me ask you a few questions:
· What is your ultimate dream – what sits on the top of YOUR rock wall?
· Why is this a passion of yours?
· What will you do to accomplish this passion?
· ARE YOU SURE?
I have asked these same questions to every team that I worked with for my 35 years in coaching. I not only asked the group these questions but I also asked them to each individual. I wanted them to look me in the eye and tell me their “WHY”. Why are you here and what are you willing to do to accomplish your goals so you can achieve your dreams?
99.9% will tell me that they will do whatever it takes to get to the top. I need to hear this because I will ask more of them than they have ever been asked in their life as an athlete. It is a need because I will be able to remind them when it gets hard that they told me they would “DO WHAT IT TAKES”.
Are you willing to do what it takes to accomplish your goals that lead to your achieving your dreams?
Overcoming the Struggles
This is the hard part. When you begin your journey, you have a pep in your step and take off at a great pace.
What happens when things get hard? You need to look after your family members. You don’t feel well. Your car is making a funny noise. It’s raining. You stayed out too late last night. You’re not gaining enough traction. Nobody is reacting to your efforts? You’re sore from the work you did the day before.
What do all these have in common? They’re excuses. But they are the walls that stop most people. Sometimes they just pop up. Sometimes you make them happen. The biggest issue is when you don’t try to find a way around them.
When you started this journey did you not tell anyone? So, when they “need” you to do something, remind them that they know your time is limited and you can only help them during this preset time. Or you can work them into your 86,400 seconds, that you have every day, and rearrange your day.
The key is that you keep moving forward. Randy Pausch, in his book, “The Last Lecture” tells us that, “The walls aren’t there to keep us out. They are there to show how badly we want something.”
How bad do you want to achieve your greatest passion? What will you overcome to accomplish this passion? ARE YOU SURE?
The struggles we have on the way to achieving our greatest dreams are, in retrospect, mere speed bumps that allow you to learn more about yourself. Don’t stop. Keep moving towards your optimal life. You will be glad you did!
Have an amazing day!
