Skip to content
The Warriors Way
  • Home
  • Find Training & Coaching
  • Community
  • Products
  • About
    • About
    • Trainers
    • Training Locations
    • History of Warrior’s Way
  • Blog
    • Arno’s Blog
    • Español
    • Português
    • Français
    • In the Media
  • Contact
Menu Close
  • Home
  • Find Training & Coaching
  • Community
  • Products
  • About
    • About
    • Trainers
    • Training Locations
    • History of Warrior’s Way
  • Blog
    • Arno’s Blog
    • Español
    • Português
    • Français
    • In the Media
  • Contact

Use the Climbing Metaphor to Set Goals

Use the Climbing Metaphor to Set Goals

  • Arno
  • December 30, 2018
  • 12:00 pm
https://warriorsway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/eLesson_2018-1231.mp3

A year ago, I set a goal of climbing Born on the Fourth of July at The Obed in Tennessee. The deadline for achieving it was the end of this year. I didn’t achieve the goal. Plagued with a packed schedule, I didn’t devote enough time to it. Not achieving the goal, however, isn’t necessarily a negative event. It’s evidence that the goal wasn’t as important as achieving other goals I had. 

We need to make sure that the goals we set are the most important ones we want to achieve. For me, the business goals of coaching, training trainers, and writing another book took time away from my climbing goal. My actions demonstrated what was most important. Therefore, as we shift into the new year, I’m going to set goals differently. 

We can utilize climbing as a metaphor for setting goals effectively. First, it’s important to pick goals that inspire us the most. Right now, my business goals inspire me more than climbing goals. I’m older and inspired to share this training with others. Making sure the goals we set are the ones that inspire us the most helps guide us toward achieving them.

Second, we should understand our motivation. I used to think we had a choice between comfort-based and stress-based motivation. Shouldn’t we choose to be motivated by stress, since stress is where we learn? I’ve found that it’s not about choice. Rather, it’s understanding that comfort-based motivation is natural and nothing in the world is stress motivated. We are constantly looking for the easiest way to do things. Rivers flow the easiest way toward the ocean. We move our bodies in the easiest way as we walk or run. Businesses look for the easiest way to create new products. Google Maps looks for the easiest way to get us from point A to point B. We’re naturally motivated towards comfort, but inspiring goals guide us so we willingly engage stress to learn.

In climbing, we set inspiring goals. Then, as we climb, we look for the easiest way to climb. We rest to recover energy; we move to apply our energy efficiently; and we cycle in a timely manner between the two. We’re motivated by comfort, but guided to welcome stress, be present for it, and do the necessary work to learn. The climbing metaphor requires both inspiring goals and accepting our natural comfort-based motivation. The goal gives us vision that directs our attention toward the inevitable stress we’ll experience as we do the work.

We celebrate when we achieve the goal. Achievement is a test of our learning; it’s evidence of the work we’ve done and what we’ve learned. Achieving goals is meaningful, but a deeper meaning comes from being present for and enjoying the struggles along the way. We don’t do the work because of the goal. We do the work because we find meaning in act of doing it. That shift helps us be with the struggles of our lives instead of striving for future achievements. Being becomes more important—and meaningful—than achieving. 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

PrevPreviousThe Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives
NextUsa la metáfora de escalada para establecer metasNext

Fear of Falling Course

Purchase Today

Redpointing Course

Purchase Today

The Rock Warrior's Way Book

the-rock-warriors-way-book
BUY NOW

Online Mental Training Course

DISCOVER MORE

Personalized Coaching

Free Consultation Call

Upcoming Events

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Eldorado Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Trad Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Denver Mountain Guiding – Clear Creek Canyon – Falling & Commitment – Sport Camp

Join The Warrior's Way Community

Our goal is to create an engaging mental training community that empowers, supports, and challenges our participants to learn new ways to meet life’s challenges.

Learn More

Recent Posts

The Rock Warrior’s Way Book

Espresso Lessons Book

Action Card

Book Translations

Seeking

Featured In
Logo_Climbing Magazine
Logo_Rock-and-Ice
Logo_Gripped
Logo_Training Beta
Logo_Enormocast
Logo_Klettern Mag-2
Logo_Escalando-mag
Logo_Desnivel-1
Logo_Versante Sud-1
Logo_KVCU Radio
Logo_Senders Game Podcast-1
Logo_Vertical Life mag-1
Recent Posts

Thinking About Thinking

Frustration Dissected

The Two Sides of Self Compassion

Connect
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Join Our eList
Email
  • info@warriorsway.com
  • arno@warriorsway.com
  • orders@warriorsway.com
Phone
  • 615-406-3404
Copyright 2023 – The Warrior’s Way