I went rock climbing last week…it was my first time.
Aside from being “amazing” because it unleashes my inner desire to be Spider-Man, I think the experience of rock climbing very closely mirrors being an entrepreneur.
You look up (or out) and see the goal, in this case the top.
You see the path to get there, and as time goes on, you get better at reading the course.
You begin to climb and inevitably, if you are truly pushing yourself, you arrive at a point where you don’t quite know what to do. You worry about slipping and falling all the way back to the bottom. But you know you just need to take the next step, get to the next stage of the course.
You keep pushing and eventually, you get to the top. You’ve succeeded. And as you slowly lower yourself back to the start, you begin thinking about the next challenge, the bigger wall, the smaller grips, the courses that require more skill.
The exhilaration of getting to the top is incredible. The small wins along the way up feel great. It’s challenging and rewarding.
I still always worry about slipping and falling in my business. Unlike rock climbing, there is no one there holding the rope, making sure I don’t hit the ground.
So much like rock climbing, it’s a matter of taking a deep breath, reading the terrain and making the next move.