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Climb Smarter, Not Harder: 4 Tips for Navigating Life’s Mountains

Years ago, I watched a video of a toddler climbing a 4’ climbing wall. She couldn’t have been more than 2 years old. She was free-climbing without a harness. I was amazed that she often stepped BACK to move forward. We may believe we must keep moving forward in one direction, no matter how difficult the climb becomes, instead of pausing to assess and rediscover a new path by stepping back (or down) and going in a different direction. How can taking pauses, reassessing our status, accepting guidance from others, and changing our perspective on a situation help us find the best way forward?

Moving Forward No Matter What

How often do we plow forward without attention to the difficulties or challenges our direction might cause because we believe this is the direction we must go? We become so focused on the destination that we miss the beauty or obstacles on the path. Do you know people like this? What’s it like being around someone whose determination toward a destination stomps on others’ ideas, feelings, or opportunities? They might manage to reach their targeted destination, but at what cost to themselves and others, and is it the destination where they truly belong? Doing this can often make our climb, or others’ climb, much more difficult. We may find ourselves stuck in a position, unable to see the next step upward, and unwilling to look around to find different handholds. By keeping our focus in only one direction, we may miss opportunities for easier footholds that simply stepping down or over would provide. We might struggle to reach the next handhold above us when there is one in easy grasp to the side. We can’t stretch our leg to gain the foothold at waist level that we believe we must obtain. We become frustrated at ourselves, others, and the situation. And in our frustration, we may even place ourselves, or others, in precarious situations by trying to achieve our goals the hard way.

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1. Pause to Redirect

    Though our plight may be precarious, it’s important to pause, assess the situation, look for other options, and redirect. This might occur as we find new ways to look at the ‘mountains’ in our lives – relationships, work challenges, health issues, and past trauma. We can have lots of mountains in life that might need climbing. Each will be different. Each possesses differing challenges and opportunities for growth and learning. Pausing gives us time to breathe, look around, and obtain all options before choosing the next step.

    2. Reassess the Status

      If we don’t understand or know our current status, it’s difficult to know what needs to change or stay the same. Self-awareness is important in our climb. We must assess the mountain, our climbing abilities, fatigue levels, the weather, and other available resources – like climbers, ropes, etc. In life, we also must assess our status. What mountains are looming before us at the moment? Which have we already climbed? How many are there? Who are we climbing with? What skills do we bring to the climb? Are we missing vital skills or resources necessary to make the climb safely? What circumstances surround us over which we have no control (family, work, mental illness, physical challenges)? Once we have assessed our current status and figured out our abilities, resources, and obstacles then we are more ready to climb effectively. We may need assistance to assess some of these areas. This might be people we trust, or we can reach out to a professional who can assist us in the assessment.

      3. Accept Guidance from Experienced Climbers

        Those who have gone before us will have experience with the climb and may know of dangerous areas to avoid or easier paths to take. These guides might be friends, family, people older than us, people who have experienced this before, or professionals trained to guide people on their climb. It’s great to want to make the climb alone. Yet, climbing safety rules state we should never climb alone because if we get in trouble there is no one to help or rescue us. AND, life isn’t meant to be lived alone. We do better as human beings when we have connections. Utilize the connections surrounding you and within your circle of influence to make the climb more enjoyable, safe, and beneficial.

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        4. Change Perspectives

          As we pause, we can look at the mountains in new ways. Changing perspective often changes outcomes and directions. We might look behind us to gain new perspectives on past experiences. We may look to the side, seeing others climbing similar mountains and showing an easier path up. We can also look around and seek help if we are unable to locate proper hand- or footholds on our own. Often, others can see things we cannot see and can then provide us with needed guidance on where to reach or where to set our feet so we are safe. There may be times in life when we need to redirect our path. By stepping down or back, we may more easily see a better foothold, or we may more easily reach a needed handhold that propels us forward. There have been times in my life when I felt like I hit a wall. No matter what I tried to do, I couldn’t move forward. Nothing seemed to work. I soon learned that these walls weren’t barriers that kept me from my objective. They were corners turning me in the right direction. So, when we seem to hit walls, look around and see if there’s a new direction open to us that we might not have seen previously.

          Stepping back isn’t a failure. It’s a redirection, a new perspective, or a step in the right direction. Moving sideways might reposition us away from a ledge, or a treacherous climb. It might align us with fellow climbers with whom we can enjoy the adventure, learn from, or assist. As I watched this toddler climb, she was not afraid to step back, down, or sideways. She simply looked for the best route and took it. She hadn’t already decided at the bottom how she would get to the top. She took it one step at a time. She knew she would still get to the top, but was able to enjoy the climb as she went. In life, enjoy the climb, take the redirects, pause to reassess, and move on by stepping back to gain new perspectives.