Mountain Climbers Syndrome

Today I want to talk about something that we can all fall victim to from time to time and that is what I refer to as being “Mountain Climbers Syndrome”.   What I mean by that is that we set out with a Goal in mind and we put our heads down and start working our brains out to achieve it.  Eventually after much blood sweat and tears, we look up to see how we’re going. 

Suddenly we realise that there is still so much work to be done!  We look at how much we still have to go and suddenly what we’ve already achieved seems so small in comparison, it can seem like we’ll never make it. 

The reason that I call it Mountain Climbers Syndrome is that it can be just like climbing a mountain when you’re just focused on climbing one foot in front of the other.  You reach half way up the mountain, you stop to take a look around and you see how far you still have to go and it just seems like you have sooooooooooooooo far to go that it can seem like you’ve made no progress at all.

But then in the next second you turn around and you see the view behind you and you can see how far you have ACTUALLY come.  That’s the beauty of climbing a mountain, at any moment you can see your progress.  And the view from even half way up is pretty incredible and breathtaking !

The problem is that in our everyday lives it’s not always so easy to just look around and notice how much we’ve already achieved.  It seems easier just to focus on how MUCH we still have to go but it takes work to actually go through the process of listing all of our achievements.  But just the same as the view from half way up a mountain is breathtaking, so too the effort of taking the time to focus on all of your achievements is well worth it.

When we really stop to just acknowledge what we HAVE achieved, it fills us with renewed confidence in our abilities and powers us with enthusiasm to drive us forward. 

So Here Are My 5 Top Tips To Stay Motivated to Reach Your Goal.

1.)  Think Back to When You First Set the Goal. 

Think back to the FEELING that you had when you first set the goal.  How did you feel to be setting that goal?  Were you excited?  The feeling or excitement that we have when we first set the Goal can be a great source of inspiration and power to move us forward if we do ever feel stuck.  So if you’re feeling a bit deflated, just think back and remember that feeling!

2.)  Make a List of ALL the Actions You’ve Taken Since You Set the Goal.

Think about all the things that you HAVE done since you set the goal.  It doesn’t matter if you feel you’re on track or off track.  At this point we’re just wanting to celebrate the actions that you HAVE taken.  Remind yourself that YOU have had the courage and initiative to make those changes.  If you’re the sort of person who can do that then you’re definitely the sort of person who is capable of doing the necessary work to see this thing through.

3.)  How Has Your Psychology Changed Since Setting the Goal?  

Have you made new distinctions in your thinking?  Do you now believe you’re capable of things that you didn’t know you were before?  Sometimes the mere act of setting a goal can expand our awareness because our sub-conscious selves are aware that we need to make these new distinctions in order to achieve our goal.  It’s often said that the most important thing about setting a goal is not in the achieving of the goal but in the growth it takes for you to become the type of person who is capable of achieving the goal.  If you’ve done anything at all towards your goal then chances are that you’ve already started to change.  You’re already closer to being the person who you need to be to achieve the goal then when you first started.  Take a moment to embrace, appreciate and celebrate the NEW YOU!

4.)  List All the Things That You Have Achieved So Far That You Wouldn’t Have If You Had Not Set the Goal.

It’s impossible to achieve any big or worthwhile goal without ticking off some smaller milestones along the way.  So if you’ve been working towards a major goal, then chances are that you must have already achieved some of the smaller milestones along the way.  Stop for a moment and make a list of all the little things that you HAVE achieved so far that you probably would NOT have achieved if you were not working towards this goal.  Now once you have this list, I want you to go through each one, one by one, and ask yourself what other benefits can come from this? 

For example, if you have  a goal to lose weight for example, then one of the things that you may have done is to incorporate some simple daily exercise like walking into your morning routine.  As a result that may have helped you to get closer to your goal of losing weight.  However, by making a habit of walking each morning, you may now have some other benefits like you’ve improved your health!  Studies have also found that being up early in the morning and exposing yourself to sunlight can help to wake up your body quicker and make you more alert and productive throughout your day!

If you now go through your list, item by item and for each one, ask yourself what other benefits can come from this?  What you will find is that not only are you closer to achieving your MAIN goal but you may already now have a whole list of other benefits which can help you in other areas of your life.  Can you now see how you really have come a long way and already achieved quite a lot, just as a result of setting your original goal!

5.)  Imagine That You Have Now ACHIEVED  Your Goal. 

Looking back, what would you say was the first major milestone in accomplishing the Goal?   What would you say is the most significant thing that you have done in order to achieve this goal?  Often it can be the first steps that we take that can be the most significant in hindsight in achieving our Goals.  But when we take the first step it can be a bit demoralising because it appears as though nothing is happening and we’re not making progress.  If we look at it in reverse though and imagine that you have already achieved your Goal, then often it can be a bit easier to see that the small steps that you’re ALREADY taken really HAVE been fairly significant for you after all.  If you can see how significant the small things that you’ve already done really are, then it’s easier to stay motivated throughout the process!

Go through this process to really re-invigorate your passion for your Goal moving forward and to help motivate to keep you on track.  Leave a comment below to let me know how this has helped you and what progress you’ve already made on your Goals!