As Abdul Kalam once said, “Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career” and sometimes it can be very difficult to know just how to reach the top!
I think this applies to a lot in life but the solution, whether it is climbing to the top of a mountain or the top of your career is very similar as I found out the other day when I headed to the beach.
Now, coming from Scotland, I am used to walking in the hills and mountains but with living in Holland for the last 6 years, I am definitely out of practise. There are no ‘real’ hills here but if I want to go to the part of the beach that I like, I have to climb up a sand dune which in the heat and dry sand feels higher than it really is!
So the first time I did it last week, I struggled; I stopped and started, wondering if it was worth all the effort; and while I did eventually get there, it was slow going, I got annoyed at myself and I felt that I had little energy left when I got to the top.
Two days later I was back at the bottom of that same hill but this time I attacked it! I started off with an initial burst of energy and kept the momentum going until I reached the top – this time there was no procrastinating and although I slowed down a little as I reached the top, I got there with a new sense of energy which made going down the other side so much more fun.
What I found is that both methods probably used the same amount of energy but the first took considerably longer to reach the end result while the second left me more energised and inspired.
So next time you are faced with a challenge that at first appears daunting, stop procrastinating and saying “I’ll do it later”, and try attacking it – you may be surprised to find that it was not so difficult after all and you will reap the rewards so much faster.
So the solution to the question, ‘how to reach the top?’ no matter what it is – be a hill seeker, stop procrastinating and attack it!
