It all starts with goals
When I decided to take on the 29029 Everesting Challenge in 2024, I knew I needed to get clear on my goals not just for the event, but for my year.
Many people have assumed that I have one goal for this event - to complete the 15 summits in Sun Valley to hike the equivalent vertical elevation of Mt. Everest in less than 36 hours. But on several of my early training hikes, as I’ve eschewed the AirPods to spend less time distracted by podcasts and music, I’ve been able to spend more time with myself, reflecting on why I’m doing this and what my true goals are. I landed on four goals that transcend this endurance event and will guide me in my business this year.
Goal #1: Enjoy the training
So often we focus too much on “the event”, in whatever form that takes, whether in this case an endurance event, or in our work the “big meeting”, or shipping the deliverable. But I’ll spend most of my time training for 29029 - this is where the work happens, day in, day out - and I want to enjoy every minute of it. And enjoying it doesn’t mean that’s it’s going to be pain-free or frustration-free. There will be ups and downs and throughout I’ll be discovering more about myself and what I’m capable of. The old cliche “it’s the journey, not the destination” couldn’t be more true. I’m thinking along the same lines for my business this year - I’m anticipating that I’ll learn more about myself professionally this year than I’ve ever discovered, and I’m planning to embrace the mantra of “enjoy the training” on that front as well.
—> What will if take for you to “enjoy the training” this year?
Goal #2: Show up to the start line healthy, strong and ready
Enjoying the training doesn’t mean taking it easy. It also doesn’t mean over-training. My second goal is to show up in Sun Valley at the start line at 6:00am on Friday, June 7th feeling healthy, strong and ready for what’s ahead. That means I need to take care of my body, my mind and my emotions over the next six months. That includes proper nutrition, sleep and periods of recovery. Many times we all push ourselves too hard, staying up late to prep for the big presentation, poring over every little detail in a slide deck, and we lose sight of the big picture and when it’s “go time” we’re stressed and overwhelmed. Goal #2 is a build on the first goal: to be at peace with the work I have done to be prepared both physically and mentally. Not stressed, but confident and ready.
—> What will if look like for you to be “healthy, strong and ready” for what’s in front of you this year?
Goal #3: Connect with community
While hiking 29029 vertical feet sounds like a lonely solitary undertaking, one of the things that attracted me to this event is the deep sense of community that the organizers have fostered since its inception. In fact, in 2023, the cofounders bought back the event to focus not on growth and scalability of 29029 events, but on the growth that participants could experience on the slopes. And one of the first emails I got after I registered included a link to a map of towns where other participants reside. I immediately found other local climbers to bond with, even someone I already knew but didn’t know was registered. The mutual support this community is already offering is life-giving and I know will be just as critical as nutrition and hydration on the mountain. When I think about my business this year, I know community will be everything, whether that’s collaborating closely with clients or brainstorming and sharing ideas and best practices with colleagues. We are stronger together!
—> What will it yield for you to connect deeply with your community in 2024?
Goal #4: Leave it all on the mountain
I know that over the course of 36 hours on the mountain in Sun Valley, 500 things could go right and 1,000 things could go wrong. There’s always the risk of injury, dehydration, nutrition that doesn’t agree with my stomach, and weather (last year lightning strikes closed the gondola for a couple hours, and no, they didn’t get those two hours “back” - the event is 36 hours, period). But my fourth goal is to give it everything I’ve got. If that means my body and mind hold up enough for me to summit 15 times and earn my “red hat”, then great! But primarily, I want to leave with no regrets, no thoughts that I “could have done more”. That’s more important to me - it’s not about the finish line, but feeling that I gave it my best effort, both physically and mentally. I want to feel the same about my business at this time next year - that I gave my best effort to building a successful and lasting business.
—> What will “leaving it all on the mountain” mean for you in 2024?
If I can help you get clear on your goals for 2024, let me know - I’d love to support you!
For more updates over the next several months on my training, follow me here.
Onward and upward!
-Matthew
(January 1, 2024)