Mountain Climbing vs. Work

People often ask why I climb mountains. The classic answer is, “Because they are there,” but there really is a lot more to it. I climb mountains for the same reasons I enjoy work--Because it is a challenge with a tangible reward. For work, the reward is usually money AND improving someone’s life in some way. That is the goal and just like climbing mountains, it requires research, a plan, hard work, and the ability to adapt.

I’ve summited many higher mountains such as Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, etc., but I just returned from my latest climb, Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales. If you know about this mountain, you know it really isn’t that big, but it certainly was a challenge. I climbed in late November during a storm. Just like completing a business plan, I laid out my goal, read all about the mountain, bought a map, and continually checked the weather before the day I was to climb.

I knew the conditions were going to be arduous, so I adjusted my plan to include more supplies than I normally would have needed in the event of an emergency, I double checked that I was familiar with my route, confirmed my time-line, and set off on the ten-mile trek. As I ascended into the clouds, snow began to fall, the temperature plummeted, and the wind began to howl, but keeping close to my plan, I fought through the difficulty, focused on stability as I passed a dangerous section known as Killer Convex, and I finally reached my goal at the summit plaque.

Just like at work, entering the clouds on the mountain acts as a metaphor of entering unknown territory, the snow and temperature are different challenges that come up, and the pushing wind is just like those intentionally or unintentionally trying to hold me from success. The challenges for a person in business or for an entrepreneur are real, and they can be very daunting, but are these reasons to turn back or give up? Should these challenges stop you from reaching goals?

The Snowdon summit was miserable at -13 degrees Celsius and winds at 45 mph, and I loved it. There were no views because of the weather, but I had executed on my plan and achieved what I had set out to do. The difference between mountain climbing and work, however, is that while it might take a year or more to reach an entrepreneurial goal, reaching my goal to summit Snowdon was compacted into a matter of days, but the joy of reaching a goal was similar, and as I stood near the top of the frozen mountain, stinging from icy snow, and gasping for breath in the wind, all the difficulties and hurdles in front of me at work seemed somehow very small. As I descended Snowdon, returning from the clouds, I couldn’t wait to get to work knowing that with a good plan, a lot of effort, and an ability to adapt, I could do anything … and so can you!