Let's talk about mountains. Not the ones you see in paintings coming out of the clouds, but the personal mountain tops we each strive to reach in our lives – maybe it’s that dream job or opportunity, that business we’re building, that fulfilling relationship, or that life that makes us feel alive. We can see them so clearly in front of us, but climbing those mountains can get messy. We trip, stumble, and sometimes, (let's be honest) we fall flat on our face.
In the training world, there’s this method called the ADDIE model for building content. Basically, it's a roadmap for success: Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and…the E stands for Evaluate. That last step is the secret ingredient. If we’re not constantly evaluating, how do we know where we are on the mountain? I recently heard that life is about adjustments, but if we’re not evaluating, how do we know which adjustments to make to keep moving forward?
Many times we skip this step entirely, charging headfirst into a routine – workout, relationship, career – without ever asking, "Is this even the right mountain?" "Is this actually taking me where I want to go?" We’re like zombies on treadmills, going nowhere fast.
Imagine hiking blindly, never checking your compass, just following every little pathway that comes along. You’re wandering and that’s how you get lost. That's where we are when we ignore evaluation. We keep doing things – scrolling mindlessly, saying yes to every request, holding onto toxic relationships – simply because "that's just what we do."
But what if we stopped the mindless wandering and started being intentional with our climb? What if we made calculated adjustments? What if we embraced evaluation as our driving force, and took ownership of our ascent? Perhaps we could even slow down to get ahead? Perhaps instead of always being busy, we became productive? Tony Robbins loves to say that success is progress and when we’re scaling the right mountain and we look up and we’re getting closer and closer to the top, I bet that feels pretty good!
So take a moment, pull out your metaphorical compass (phone, journal, that inner voice), and ask yourself:
- What habits are my climbing ropes pulling me to the top? Double down on those!
- Which ones are the crevasses threatening to swallow me up? Time to cut those off!
- Where do I need to learn new climbing skills? YouTube tutorials, inspiring podcasts, maybe even a mentor? The right knowledge at the right time is power!
Insanity, as Albert Einstein said, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
So, let’s take back control of our sanity. Let's lean into the evaluation revolution and climb with purpose - Let’s be intentional!
Because when we evaluate, adapt, and evolve, the view from the top will not only be breathtaking, it will change who we are, so we can not only climb this mountain, but we’ll be ready to climb the next mountain, and the next one after that.
If you’ve been listening to me at all, you know I like to go on a morning run. This morning as I was hitting my last rest point, I thought about this episode and realized, it’s not just about climbing and looking up at the mountain top. It’s also about evaluating where you are right now. There’s a tool in therapy and coaching to help you become instantly present and self aware.You simply look at your hands for a moment and that turns off your self-talk about where you’re headed and allows you to focus on where you are. Look around and realize how far you’ve already come. Take in everything that you’ve already built to get this far up this mountain you’re on. Look at the entire landscape that you’ve already experienced and be proud of what you’ve accomplished. When you do this, that shot of dopamine you receive will empower you. Will help strengthen you for the rest of your climb. So don’t forget to look at your hands every once in a while.
You’ve only just begun and you are not alone on this mountain. Share your journey with those around you! We're all in this together, supporting one another as we continue to climb.
Remember you have the power to shape your destiny, so go out there and make it happen.