The fastest way to achieve your goals

As you dream big lofty goals, you get excited about what’s possible.

Darrin looked out his window and saw the wispy clouds illuminate with pink and orange dancing among the mountain tops at sunset. The sky drew his attention with laser focus. His breath slowed as he gazed upon the beauty of the colors swirling and changing as the sun slowly set behind the mountains.

Darrin always wondered what it would be like to hike to the ridgeline’s top and see a 360-degree view. He was an avid runner yet now practical experience hiking or being outside for more than daylight hours.

He decided he wanted to backpack in the wilderness for the weekend. It can’t be that hard, right? Darrin jumped on the internet and figured out every piece of gear he needed, a backpack, freeze-dried food, water canisters, sleeping bag, etc. Over the week, he borrowed equipment from friends and bought the rest. He learned how to use the gear, set up the tent, use a cooking stove, etc.

Friday night, he could hardly sleep. Darrin woke up Saturday with great anticipation to start his journey into the mountains. He thought he could easily hike in 8 miles and set-up camp as a runner with strong legs. The thought of seeing both a sunset and sunrise brought a giant smile into his heart.

He packed all the gear into the backpack. He could barely lift it. Hmm…

Darrin drove two hours to the trailhead, put the pack on his back, looked at the map, and started hiking. Less than twenty minutes in, his neck and back started to hurt immensely. He had no clue why. He thought it’s all part of the experience, right? He took some ibuprofen to deal with the pain.

Two hours into the hike, the pain got worse. He took off the pack and felt instant relief. Oye!

Those who may not backpack often don’t know that it takes a considerable amount of upper body and back strength to carry a lot of weight. Darrin rested, hydrated, and ate to regain strength. He put the pack back on, and his back hurt even worse. Little did Darrin know that the very weighted back with little back strength was causing his spine to compress.

An hour later, Darrin’s pain was so horrible that he turned around and headed back to his car. He was filled with disappointment.

How often are you so ambitious that you forget the little steps?

Building a solid foundation is the key to any long-term endeavor. Remember the story about the man who builds a house on sand versus solid dirt, and then a storm came? The same comes into play with anything in life, relationships, or your career.

First, Get Steady: Build your foundation first and make sure it’s steady.

Second, Go Slow: Take small steps to build upon what your building. Test and see if the foundation holds.

Rushing to get somewhere fast will only cause havoc and show the weak areas. This can be your body breaking down, trying to carry too heavy of a pack with vulnerable muscle groups, or building new relationships without reliable communication tools.

This gives you the stability to keep moving.

It’s this slow and steady that will make you reach the top of the mountain!

Wishing you a joyful, loving, and prosperous day!

Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer