Summer Vacation: Lesson 2—Climbing Mountains

  So, lesson two from my summer vacation puts me on the north side of Kauai at the end of the road. Really, the road on the north side going west ends at Ke’e Beach. Ke’e is my favorite beach on the island.  It has lots of sand and shade, you can walk a long distance, chickens roam the sand, you can see turtles and monk seals, or just sit in the calm waters.  There are even facilities and a lifeguard and sometimes a guy selling ice-cold coconuts in the parking lot.

What is also at Ke’e, is the trailhead of the Kalalau Trail, or the Na Pali coast hike. If you have seen Jurassic Park, South Pacific, Six Days/Seven Nights, King Kong with Jessica Lange, Pirates of the Caribbean—you have seen the Na Pali coast.  It is only accessible by water, helicopter or hiking.

I have visited Kauai six times, and every time I say that I will hike part of the Na Pali coast. Never have. Why? Lazy, yes--but that’s too simplistic. My lazy is deeply rooted in a lifetime of viewing myself as the overweight kid who was last in any laps running during PE or countless team practices.  I was embarrassed by my body—the suit of armor I carried to protect myself from dealing with my emotions or my sexuality. My lazy was intertwined with my not wanting to fail, look bad, be made fun of, or be fully seen. My form of lazy led me to gain weight in the run-up to my wedding—to really make sure I would still be wanted or loved—more armor, more padding so I wouldn’t get hurt so much by the rejection. If I don’t try—no glory, no reward, but I also get to stay safe. Existing, not thriving.

So, about this hike.  This year was the year to try. So, bolstered by my traveling companions and the promise of amazing views—up we start. We know that at ¼ mile is the first lookout and at ½ mile is the view of the entire coastline.  Easy, right? Ten minute walk on the streets of NYC.  We are not in NYC! This trail is straight up the side of a mountain—loose rock, big fall away, waterfalls create slippery/slimy little hazards to maneuver. Big fun!! We are passed by younger hikers—and trail runners--but on we push. 

We made the first ¼ mile in about 20 minutes. Panting, happy to stop for photo ops, not dead yet and not embarrassed yet. Hopeful even.  At this point, two of our party who had chosen flip-flops as hiking gear decide to return down the mountain.  I had an out.  I didn’t have to go on.  What to do?

Apparently, I have a moment with God. A voice in my head said loud and clear: “You are the youngest one in this group. Why do you keep treating yourself less than? You can do this. You are stronger and more agile than you know. Move up the mountain.” So I did. I maneuvered boulders, on-coming tourists and 20-mile per hour wind gusts to stand at the ½ mile marker and see the Na Pali coast and the Northern coastline from way up on a cliff. My legs were tired, but I did it. No confetti or parades—but I did my own little internal happy dance.

We weren’t done yet. After 45 minutes up, it was back down the trail.  And for me, down was a lot easier. I work better with gravity than against it. I actually bounded down the mountain—faster was working for me. Yes, my legs were sore the next day, but I not only survived, I got the photos to prove it.

My lessons—let go of old stories that are not supporting my thriving.  No risk means no reward.  I now want to get out of my comfort zone more—see what else I can do or become.  I want to start pushing my physical limits as much as my career, intellectual and creative edges.  What can I do if I weren’t concerned about how others might see me, what they might think?

How cool would that be?  I’ll let you know.

Are You Lazy or Doing Too Much at Once?

Procrastination, laziness, lack of discipline--I keep hearing these themes over and over again from my clients.  Complaints of time-management issues, not being able to stay on top of email, exercise, moving forward with a business plan, getting that dream project launched, or those odd tasks that have been put-off for months at this point.  Why do we delay the joy of checking off that long avoided task? What is stopping us from taking one step closer to accomplishing our goals?

What is really going on here?  Many times, the culprit is Multi-Tasking.

More and more our lives--be it at the office, home, or on the go--are being overwhelmed by the "convenience" of alerts from email, texts, Facebook, Twitter, stocks, LinkedIn, news feeds, eBay, Instagram, and more. We are becoming addicted to the excitement of "what is happening now" and the fear of missing out.  Will kittens die if you don't answer that email or text within 30-seconds from receiving it? No? Then don't!

Here is a secret--you get to be the boss of your time most of the time.

How can we bring our best to any given task if we can't give it our full-attention?  Do we even remember full-attention anymore?  Writing without interruption, or a conversation/meeting without electronic devices, or a smart-phone/tablet/laptop-free meal--sound familiar?

I don't find that most of my clients are lazy but unable to commit a block of time to one task at a time.  If your quest is to "get things done" try some single-focused attention.

1. Turn off your email, alerts, and silence your phone. 
2. Breathe.  
3. Choose a task from your To Do list.
4. Set a timer for 25 minutes. 
5. Work on that one task.  
6. If you complete your task before the time is up, choose another task and begin.
7. If the timer goes off before you are done, either: 
8. A. Set the timer for another 25 minutes, and continue or 
9. B. Set the timer for 5 minutes. Check and respond to email/texts/voicemail.
10. Celebrate each task completed by crossing it off your list, get-up and move around/stretch.
11. Start over at the top

This method works with personal tasks, as well as work tasks. It is long enough to actually get stuff done, and short enough that important emails/calls/texts can get addressed when the timer goes off.

When you dedicate a block of time to your tasks you set yourself up for success--things get done, self-esteem goes up, stress goes down. Win, win, win!

And don't forget: make sure that you and your goals/dreams are on your To Do list.  It is so easy to put everyone else first. If you aren't creating the life you have dreamed of--who is going to do it?  Break your goals down into little chunks, and start doing a bit everyday.  If not now, when?  

Why Not Thrive?