Switchbacks: something that can cause a detour on our way to our goal; because when we set our eyes on a goal, we want to make a straight line for it and get there as soon as we can. But once we start on the path, we too often encounter switchbacks that can seem to move us backwards or take us to places where we can’t even see the goal anymore.
With the new goal I got this past summer to find a job when I was laid off; I wanted it fast, so I set my eyes on the goal and headed straight for it. Then came the switchbacks… All wrapped up in this word called “Time”, because I started spending a lot of time waiting for: the response to the application, the first interview, the second interview, and a decision. And since mentally you can only apply for so many jobs each day, I needed to use and look at this time on the switchbacks in a positive way in my hiking, personal, and professional life.
In hiking, the extra time is being used to explore new trails and start hiking with/leading group hikes with the Facebook Monument Hiking Group. Over the summer, this hiking community has grown and become stronger as we found ways to help each other stay safer on the trails. I’ve also come to realize (more than ever) the mental and physical therapy that comes from trail hiking.
In my personal life, time became an opportunity for a long weekend away with my wife and to be able to help drive my daughter and two-month-old grandson back to Nashville. And the drive itself from Colorado Springs to Nashville had its own switchback as her car broke down in the middle of Kansas. We ended up renting a U-Haul truck and car trailer for the last 700 miles of the trip. Not part of my initial plan to get my daughter back home, but a switchback experience (broken car, 100 degrees, middle of Kansas, two-month-old grandson) that will be remembered with lessons to help on future journeys.
In my “work” life, the time on the switchback is being used to hone my resume, improve my LinkedIn profile, do on-line classes and take my networking to the next level. I have and continue to learn lessons during this journey that I know will be helpful to others as well.
The time on switchbacks can be hard and we have to resist the urge to not keep moving. There are days where I applied for 5 jobs and then get 10 rejections from previous places I applied for. Yet, I knew the next day, I need get up and start applying again. Sometimes on switchbacks, we can no longer see the goal or we get to a part of the trail where it’s pretty level; so we want to stay there. This happens to me with hiking, as I think I could be out hiking every day and working on hiking the 1,313 peaks above 12,000 feet in Colorado. But that doesn’t get me to my initial goal, so I need to keep moving. And then in my personal life, there is a tendency to be consumed with house projects, trips, and other activities that prevent me from staying focused on the initial goal.
It’s easy to lose focus on initial goal and get comfortable or just give up as we traverse these switchbacks. How are you spending your time on the switchbacks in your journey? Who are you talking to about them and who is walking along side of you? I end this trail tip with a personal thanks to Brad Argue for the inspiration for this tip. A close friend who has journeyed many switchbacks with me.
Al Andersen 