How to Tackle Mountain-Sized Problems
Name the mountain you want to challenge, choose a path you can handle, put in place your supports, and take one step at a time.
It arrived in a thick envelope, a mountain that seemed impossible to climb: the statement of what I owed after four years of student loans. At the time, my meagre earnings barely covered our living expenses, never mind debt payments.
Panic welled up in my chest as I stared at the unsurmountable number. I had no idea where to begin.
We’ve all been there.
The doctor tells you that you have to lose weight because it is damaging your health.
The creditors keep calling because the bank is calling its loans.
The kids are home from school because of lockdown number 568, and home life is out of control.
There’s a reason just reading these hypothetical scenarios causes our hearts to beat a little faster: every one of us has mountain-sized problems looming in front of us that have frozen us with fear.
Where do we begin when ignoring the beast of a thing is not an option?
The same place you would if you were climbing a physical mountain: name the mountain you want to challenge, choose a path you can handle, get your support in place, and take one step at a time.
The first step, naming the mountain, makes us face the problem. Naming it declares that it must be dealt with, that you can no longer procrastinate.
The second step is to pick a solution that you know you can apply. Again, there could be multiple paths to take, but it is imperative to choose one that you are confident you can accomplish. Laying out multiple options also gives us a greater sense of control.
The third step is to set up whatever support you need to succeed before making the first step. These are the behaviours that will get you to your goal. It could mean adjusting your schedule, being accountable to other people, or listening to inspirational or educational podcasts.
The fourth step is to place one foot in front of the other toward your goal every day.
Applying the steps to the given examples:
Paying off student loans
Naming the mountain: Paying off $100,000 in student loan debt.
The path I can take: Make $500 payments 200 times
The supports I will put in place: A detailed budget.
The steps I will take: Make a menu plan, sell some items that I no longer need, listen to podcasts about getting out of debt, and work some overtime.
Losing weight
Naming the mountain: Losing 30 pounds.
The path I can take: Lose 5 pounds six times.
The supports I will put in place: A visible list of one habit that I can change per week.
The steps I will take: Have healthy food options available, buy new walking shoes, use non-food rewards after each milestone is reached.
Homelife during circumstances that cause imbalance
Naming the mountain: Maintain a peaceful home during a crisis.
The path I can take: List five tasks that I can do today.
The supports I will put in place: Make a checklist on a whiteboard where everyone can see it.
The steps I will take: Do one small task, give myself a checkmark; have a child do one small task, then give them a check mark. Repeat until the tasks are complete!
Final Thoughts
Training to climb a mountain takes months, sometimes even years.
Mountain training requires the climber to go partway up and then come back down repeatedly until the mental and physical capabilities required to reach the peak transform.
The goal is not to get to the top. The goal is the transformation that happens as we persevere through the difficult climb.
Life’s mountains are no different. First, you will go up, and then you will go down. But you will be a stronger version of yourself than you were when you first faced it.
Without mountains, we might find ourselves relieved that we can avoid the pain of ascent, but we forever miss the thrill of the summit. And in such a terribly scandalous trade-off, it is the absence of pain that becomes the thief of life.
— Craig D. Lounsbrough