Getaway Time
This last six days has been amazing.
My friend, B, put together an amazing group retreat.
I won't share too many details to respect each person's privacy, but I will say it was one of the best experiences I've had:
- Pickleball
- Daily exercise
- Healthy eating
- Relationship building
- Shadow work, Men's work and life lessons
The culmination of the trip was an epic mountain climb today to the top of Quandary Peak:
Seriously, we were up high with the goats!
The round trip was ~ 6.75 miles, starting at 10,850 feet and climbing to a summit of 14,272 feet for a total elevation gain of 3,450 feet.
As I climbed the mountain, I thought about the week, and realized there were a lot of valuable life lessons I wanted to share with you from the climb, and more, so here goes:
Relationships
This is what it's all about - human connection.
Most of the guys who are on this trip are people I've never met.
B brought together a group of amazing people with a direct, or ancillary, tie-in to Financial Independence and Early Retirement, FIRE, and we had a blast.
We bonded.
We shared vulnerably.
We gave each other constructive feedback.
I'm leaving here feeling like I've made many new friends, which at 46 isn't easy to do.
It helped on the climb today.
At the 80% to 90% territory, I was cooked.
By cooked, I mean I was ready to have a nap and call it a day.
Then, magic happened. Five minutes down the slope, I saw one of my friends walking up towards me.
Damn, the energy was back.
He caught me, hooked me up with water and some food and friendship and off we went, together.
Have a Goal
We considered a lot of things for the trip.
One of the things we were certain on was we wanted to climb a 14er, which is a mountain peak that has a peak elevation above 14,000 ft.
Some of the other things we had on the list fell off, like group mountain biking, and were replaced by great conversation and a fair amount of Pickleball.
We were all certain though, we were climbing a 14er.
Remember, it's like I always say:
- Know what you want
- Understand what it takes
- Do the work. Day in. Day out
The first part of that equation is the goal, or the vision, and for us, it was the mountain peak.
Break it Down
It's great to have a goal to get to the top of the 14er, but that can't be what you focus on.
Once the going gets tough, thinking about the peak of the mountain is a recipe for disaster.
Instead, break it down. Focus on the 5 feet in front of you.
We were at high altitude.
I've already had altitude sickness all week.
I wasn't sitting pretty. In fact, I was having trouble breathing.
If I kept thinking of the peak, I would have turned around and gone home; instead, I focused on walking for 5 minutes and taking a break for a few minutes. I was focused on the five to fifty feet in front of me.
Don't Listen to Them
I love asking questions as I pass people on the way up the mountain:
- Have you done this trail before
- How much longer do you think we have
It's a lesson in Pessimism.
Seriously, each answer is dejecting.
We have 1-1/2 miles left, but the rocks are really slippery.
We've only got a mile left, but it gets way steeper up ahead.
When I'm coming back down the mountain, I try to change that up. I try to pump up the people coming up.
- They're tired
- They're exhausted
They don't need to hear how hard it is.
They need to hear,
- You're almost at the top
- Only five more minutes to go
You're always going to have naysayers, people who tell you no, people who say you can't do it.
Ignore them. Go Get it Done.
Don't Give Up
It gets hard.
Fuck, Life is Hard.
No matter what you want, life is hard - check out Tom Brady in the second tweet:
The easiest way to succeed in life is to not give up.
Heck, 80% of success is showing up and I'd wager at least another 18% is not giving up.
I was near the top.
Ready for a nap, but kidding aside, I don't give up.
Even if I had a short nap, I'd have gotten up and climbed to the top. It's how I'm wired and, I expect, how I've achieved what I have in life.
Get it Over With
I've always preached this one.
If I climb the mountain in 4 hours, I'm going to hurt a little for 4 hours.
If I climb the mountain in 2 hours, I'm going to hurt more for 2 hours...Guess the one I'm going to choose.
Generally, it will always be suffer more for less time.
It's simple.
If I'm finished, I'm recovering.
If I'm finished, I'm not hurting at all.
Why extend the pain and discomfort you're experiencing.
Push yourself fast and hard to achieve your goals and then rest, recover and enjoy your life.
Have Fun
Going up the mountain is the challenge.
Going down the mountain is where the fun is.
It brings back your childhood when you run down the mountain.
It's a form of meditation as you get into the flow of where to plant every foot to not fall on the rocks, roots, or the steps.
As I run down the mountain, sure I'm tired, but I'm smiling the whole time and super excited I'm able to be on the mountain, running in the wind and sunshine.
Life's too short not to have fun.
TGG Podcast
This week on the Growth Guide Podcast, we talked to Ross Simmonds about his latest book, Create Once, Distribute Forever: How Great Creators Spread Their Ideas and How You Can Too.โ
We discuss the power of partnerships, content distribution, and navigating the dynamic landscape of social media:
- The Four E's of Content
- The Impact of Partnerships
- Effective Content Distribution
- Resilience, Engagement, and Empowering Content
For more on Create Once, Distribute Forever, listen to this week's podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also watch on YouTube:
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Last Word ๐
I love hearing from readers and I'm always looking for your feedback.
How I'm doing with the Growth Guide. Is there anything you want to see more of or less? Which aspects of the Newsletter or Podcast do you like the most?
Hit reply, say hello, and let me know what you think of the Colorado 14er Life Lessons.
I'd love to chat with you !
All my best,
Clint
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