One last trail tip from the movie Free Solo, so spoiler alert; stop reading if you want to see the movie before you read this tip, otherwise; read and enjoy, as we finish this trail tip series by starting with some quotes from the last part of the movie.
“Alex is having the best day of his life. Not me, I’m done.” Quoted by one of the camera operators who filmed Alex free soloing up El Capitan.
“Good to see you again. Feels so good. So delightful. What a journey. After 8 years of dreaming. Never smiled so much. Mountain doesn’t look so scary. Exactly what I hoped for. Didn’t compromise anything.” Quotes from Alex Honnold after his successful assent of El Capitan.
“What is next [for today]” a camera person asked Alex. “I’m going to hang board (practice my exercise routine).” Replied Alex. “Normal person would have taken the afternoon off.” Was the camera person’s reply.
Both the camera operators and Alex were experienced the same event, but had totally different perspectives because of their view points. Like the camera operators, we are becoming a much more spectator-based society, sitting on the sideline watching TV, YouTube, reading exploits on Facebook, or other social media sites. We get the rush and become exhausted; without really ever doing anything. As the camera operator said “I’m done, and Alex is going back to practicing his skills with hang boarding.” Alex wasn’t exhausted from the climb (being in the arena); he was energized!
Watching Free Solo reminds us yet again, that while we will never do anything like free soloing El Capitan, we do need to spend more time in the arenas of life and get off the side line. And this starts with setting goals to get us into the arena.
In hiking -especially in Colorado- the goals seem limitless: doing the incline for the first time or the 500th time, knocking out 14ers, completing the Colorado Trails, exploring the numerous trails around Pike’s Peak. Or having a goal in another state, like hiking the Grand Canyon Rim 2 Rim in one day. It’s setting goals and starting to work on them one hike at a time; which can take years to complete. Alex didn’t free solo El Capitan the first time he saw it. Rather it was a goal 8 years in the making.
In our personal life, goals are all over the place and we can unfortunate become spectators too easy. Think of the popularity of all the home improvement shows. It’s a lot easier to watch all these rehab shows instead of picking up the sledge hammer and start knocking down those walls and cabinets. (I hope my wife doesn’t read this Trail Tip and hand me a sledge hammer.)
In work, it’s easy to let others take the lead, to be the point; while we only support and observe from the side lines. Leaders are energized and consumed with passion and the next steps for their causes as they are in the arena. Alex was focused on the next hand/foot hold, and then the next one, etc. He wasn’t being distracted by the thought of failure or other events around him. Which in our case at work would be watching for emails, phone calls, or non-relevant meetings.
“Ninety-nine percent of the people the world, are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre.” Timothy Ferriss, The 4-Hour Workweek. And so, we sit on the sidelines, watching others achieve their greatness in the arenas of life. Yet, they come away energized and we are emotionally spent “I done” from just watching them. What are the goals and dreams you have for your life in the areas of hiking, personal, and work life? When are you going to get into the arena and start fighting for them? Looking back at El Capitan after he climbed it, Alex said “The Mountain doesn’t look so scary”. And after your success in the arena, you too will be saying, “that wasn’t so scary, let’s get another dream and goal…”
Al Andersen 