Roadblocks

Do you ever come up with an idea and you are just like “fuck yeah! I am STOKED” and then you start really thinking about it and you are just like “ohhhh fuck, there is soooo much shit to do”? Yeah. That is where I am at right now. I obviously understand how much work is going to go into this training, I understand that I legit have to work to change my lifestyle from eating like crap, drinking regularly and smoking weed, to eating well, drinking less and… smoking weed… (it’s legal here). The thing that I am thinking about today is the beginning of the budget. Which, to me, is much more daunting that training for 5 years… I’ve never been good with money.

I mentioned in the last post that I am at the spot now where I am able to think about lead climbing, which is so incredibly exciting! Here is the thing about that, my gym charges $200 for 3 lead climbing training sessions, alright $200 not bad. On top of that you have to own your own rope, alright $150-$300 depending on quality and thickness, okaayyyy $350 still not bad $500 is getting up there. Oh,vyou also have to have your own auto locking belay device (GriGri), Petzl sells one for $150, and I mean, if I am doing a big purchase of gear then I may as well get a helmet too which can run $60-$150. $800 bucks. EIGHT-HUNDRED BUCKS, yeah yeah, I know, most of this stuff is a one time purchase, or a purchase once every few years. BUT STILL. $800 means that I can’t start lead climbing at least until I move to BC and get some money saved up, which means I probably won’t be doing any lead until Summer 2020. Oh and don’t forget that your shoes are almost at the point they are almost ready for a resoul or time to buy new shoes… or both… so that is another $200-$300.

It’s this, the first thing that makes you doubt your plan or idea that is so hard to move past. I have had this great idea and now all of a sudden there is a pretty big roadblock in front of me. It happens with anyone and anything though, you want to lose weight? Easy just go to the gym a bunch and then it will happen, oh the first road block, running sucks. You want to eat healthy? Easy, stop eating out and ordering food and you’ll eat healthier, first road block, you gotta learn how to cook more than just pasta. You are really good at photography and think you could do it as a job, first roadblock, people have been doing this forever and most people already have preferred photographers. Everything and anything worth doing is going to put up roadblocks as you go. I expect to have to pass many many more roadblocks from here to El Cap, even from here to my first outdoor top rope, and obviously from here to starting to lead climb. I think it is important though, to want something enough to not let those roadblocks stop you, if not then what are you doing? Working everyday, sleeping every night and not looking forward to nothing? Lame.

Think about your roadblocks. Take a breath. Overcome.

I said it in the last post, set aggressive goals and push yourself to obtain them. When you don’t think something is going to happen, but still want it to – that is when you are getting outside of your comfort zone, and, I am a firm believer that you are only learning when you aren’t comfortable. I just applied for a job that I didn’t think they would even consider me for an interview, but I ended up getting it! You should always be trying to get outside of your comfort zone, it is the only way you learn. I hadn’t put it into words before until I heard the other day: Seek Discomfort.

So that is what I am going to do, set aggressive goals, not let roadblocks stop me or deter me from reaching my goals, and seek discomfort.