How To Climb A Slippery, 3,200’ Granite Wall With No Ropes

To most people, risk just looks like chance.Luck.Rolling the dice.

But this isn’t how “lucky” people operate.

The reality is, that while chance can play a role, most “lucky” people set themselves up to be that way.They practiced and practiced and practiced until they felt confident in their abilities.They had run the course so many times that doing it on race day just felt like another day.The risk was more visible.

The risk was minimized.

Alex Honnold climbed El Capitan, which is about 3,200 ft of slippery granite, in about 4 hours without any ropes.While there are some clearly dangerous factors, he had climbed the route many times over the course of 8 years and knew every pitch well.When it was time, he already knew he could do it.He had done it so many times already.He was able to believe and trust in himself.

2 Minute Action

What is a risk you could take in your life, right now?Can you rehearse some or all of it?Could you role play with a friend? Could you do it with a safety net until you get the hang of it?Take 2 minutes to break down this risky maneuver into smaller, safer pieces.Stringing them together will feel very different from approaching it all at once with no practice.

The Only Time You Should Say "Don't"

Don't is powerful. It's more powerful than can't.We can change "can't" with attitude and hard work, but "don't" is different.

In this case, I specifically mean "I don't." As in:

I don't miss a workout.I don't skip meditation.I don't eat junk food.When we say the words "I don't," we somehow pull meaning from deep within us. It's suddenly a powerful belief inside."I don't" translates to "I'm not the kind of person who . . ."Next time you want to confront a temptation or stir up some intrinsic motivation, try saying "I don't."