Pursuing Your “Mega Goals”

If you are like most climbers I know, you have already formulated a “mega goal” for the upcoming season. Maybe it’s to send your first V6 (or maybe V12!), redpoint your first 5.10 (or 5.14?), climb a big wall, or maybe just to do a killer roadtrip this summer. No matter your goal, it takes a plan to make it reality. Goals rarely “just happen”, you need to make them happen. Here’s how:

EH enjoying the Pancake Flake, The Nose of El Cap, Yosemite. McCallister photo.

That is, develop a success strategy that will elevate you towards the season’s goal, and then take daily action. Develop the personal attribute of being a compulsive planner–instead of drifting in the wind, strive to direct the wind! Don’t let a day pass you by without asking yourself, “what action can I take to advance towards my mega goal?”

If it’s a complex goal, you may benefit by mentally projecting forward to the day you achieve the goal and then working backwards in your mind to determine the key steps to getting there. This visualization exercise, of the necessary steps (and sacrifices) for reaching the goal, will program a forward inertia into your subconscious mind.

As a result, it will feel easier to take the daily actions and make the necessary sacrifices as your subconscious helps you work the plan!

Always boil the plan down to daily actions that you must take. Remember that each day provides the opportunity to take a step closer to the goal, whether it be training, climbing, resting, or getting the rest of your life in order for the realization of your mega goal.