Not motivated or inspired? Not focused? Five hacks I used when I wanted to give up on Mt. Whitney.

Feeling unmotivated or uninspired?

Out of focus?

Here are five hacks I used when I wanted to give up on Mount Whitney. 

First.. This is a reminder to be careful in your winter sports.

Here in California, we have an incredible amount of rain and snow. Wherever you are at this moment, enjoy nature while respecting what she hands us.

More on that next week. 😉

In this week’s newsletter, I want to address a comment left under my post. A great question, I hope my story motivates and encourages you to keep going when faced with obstacles or negativity.

I started to really step out of my comfort zone and have epic experiences in nature when my marriage and life collapsed at age 40. The ocean and mountains became my natural psychedelic, and it felt good to achieve what I never imagined was possible.

It was also necessary for me to push myself.

Why?

Because I needed to know my internal strength in order to make some really hard decisions. One balanced the other.

Climb real life mountains and you can climb metaphorical ones .. Climb metaphorical mountains and you can climb real life ones.

That said, it becomes a problem when you aren’t motivated, inspired, or focused to climb any mountain!

This is one of many times I wanted to give up on the side of a mountain, and these are the hacks I used to push through.

We were finishing our 22 days on the world-famous John Muir Trail - 211 miles stretching from Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States.

Fires closed the forestry and national parks, but because we were already on the trail and out of harm's way, we had permission to complete our trek.

Our group hiked to Guitar Lake on the backside of Mt. Whitney, and we determined it was best to keep going and camp on top of the mountain.

Smoke from the fires rolled in during the late afternoon, and by getting to the peak at 14,508 ft .. we hoped to be above the ash and smoke. 

It was a long day.

The winds were getting stronger as the sun set fast.

As always, and unapologetically, I was last in our group. I hiked as fast as my body would allow, yet for the first time on any mountain, I began to fear the cold and hypothermia.

In my experience of climbing anything, there are two parts that are the hardest: the beginning and the end.

Getting going is hard...

And finishing before giving up can be even tougher. 

How do you stay motivated and focused when you want to give up?

When this happens, dive into these five things:

1. REFLECT ON AND CELEBRATE WHAT GOT YOU TO THIS POINT. 

When driving in a car and only looking in the rearview mirror, you crash.

Yet the rearview mirror is there for a reason .. Take glances and notice how far you have come. Reflect on the beauty, hard work, determination, and tenacity that it took to get you to this moment in your life.

Celebrate yourself for being you, and then use that energy to keep going!

To stop is to never know what is possible. 

2. USE YOUR MIND.

Our mind is so powerful. When we can learn to use our mind in a positive way, focusing on what is possible and less on the negativity of life, we are able to transform negative into positive.

Let me explain.

There was a moment on the side of that mountain, under the darkness of night and winds howling, when I was freaking freezing. I stopped and put on every piece of clothing that I had in my pack.

I knew that I only had so much time to get moving again before my body temperature dropped .. So I began counting.

1-2-3-4-5...

And then I started into meditation, “You are warm. Feel your warmth in your core. In your arms, moving into your legs, hands, fingers, feet, and toes. You are warm.”

I didn’t allow myself to feel cold in my mind, only warm.

Once my layers were on and I was moving again, I felt comfortable and safe.

Remember: your actions will follow what you believe to be true. Believe in yourself when faced with obstacles, and you will make it happen.

3. FIND YOUR SAFE SPOT TO STOP .. BUT DON’T STOP FOREVER.

If you didn’t know it already, you are human .. And humans need to stop, too. It’s normal to have days of being tired, sluggish, not yourself, and wanting to stop.

Trees go dormant in order to replenish. Butterflies have cycles before they become an actual butterfly. There are seasons in nature, the ocean gets violent, and bears hibernate.

Rest is just as important as movement. Sometimes our rest is for a moment, and other times it lasts a bit longer. The important thing is to have awareness of your environment, find a spot in your journey that is safe to stop, listen to yourself, and when ready, keep going.

Go back to the moment when I stopped to put more clothes on.

First of all, I stopped because I needed to. I never lost sight of my goal. And I stopped in a safe space, where I knew that I could get moving again when needed.

What would have happened if I stopped in the open without shelter from surrounding talus rock and boulders? Exposure can kill in a situation like that. 

Permission is granted to safely stop and rest when needed, but when you do, never lose sight of your goals or dreams.

4. CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS. RESPOND, DO NOT REACT.

Your emotions are energy...

And when you’re cold and tired on the side of a mountain after 22 days of hiking, and your body is using energy to stay warm and keep you moving, you only have so much energy remaining to use.

Don’t waste your energy getting mad or anxious when you need to remain calm and composed. When faced with challenges, respond to what is in front of you. Do not react.

This is key to survival. In other words, don’t allow into your space what doesn’t align with your mission or vision.

Whether in relationships, achieving goals, in business, or in life .. Take a breath, stay grounded, remind yourself that you’ve got what it takes to accomplish whatever you set out to do, and take a step. Then take the next step. Every little step is moving forward. 

Don’t give your energy to what isn’t aligned with your mission or vision. Let go of what doesn’t work. Create space for what does.

5. COMPLACENCY AND HESITATION CAN KILL YOUR GOALS, YOUR DREAMS, AND YOU.

This is a big one .. You only have so much time in your life.

Just like I only had so much time when I stopped to put my clothes on before hypothermia set in. Why did I count? Because I know the value of time. I was making a mental note of how long it was taking me.

Don’t waste your most valuable commodity: your time.

I am 49 years old, the prime of my life. I have 49 years of valuable life teachings under my belt, and I have over 50 years of time here on earth remaining. Why would I dare hesitate on my own goals, dreams, or gifts? Why would YOU?

The world needs you to show up at 100%. Not 100% of the time, but during your peaks, show up at 100%.

Complacency and hesitation can (and will!) kill your goals, your dreams, and you, if you let it.

Time is your most valuable commodity.

I often say, “It’s not about the destination. It’s not about the journey. Life is about the moments within our journey that guides us to our destination.”

We made it to the top and what an epic experience this was! I’m grateful to share this experience and what I learned with all of you.

I hope these five hacks help you accomplish your goals and dreams, too.

Are you looking for an inspiring and motivating speaker on The (New) Art of Resilience? Message me and let’s create!

DID YOU KNOW: I also run leadership workshops and retreats. Message me to learn more.

Ring my bell in my LinkedIn profile for daily motivation and learning.

Grab my book, Walk Through This: Harness the Healing Power of Nature and Travel the Road to Forgiveness. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s on Amazon!

Hit reply and give me your thoughts on this week's newsletter. 

And please, forward this to anyone who you think could use it.

Keep rising, my friends!

xo

Sara