The Next Best Step in Our Trek Up the Mountains
Sometimes we get intimidated by the big picture, or the mountainous goal ahead.
When that happens, the best thing we can do is sit down and make a plan for the next best step.
Then, take that step.
If you’ve ever felt the sneaky inkling of "I'm not moving fast enough or far enough to ever make it to my goal" or "I can't do that one giant thing I envisioned so I guess I can do nothing,” then this is the post for you, my friend!
The Mountains are Mountainous, Indeed
When my anxiety and depression were loud and proud in my teens and early twenties, I often felt stuck staring up at what felt like unscalable mountains ahead of me. Goals that felt so big or so out of reach that I could not possibly reach them.
So I often decided to sit, and maybe wait for a helicopter or a cool cloudy day to help make the trek up the mountain.
I did not consider that I could take the mountain piece by piece, instead of staring at the top and feeling pre-defeated.
At the time, my mountain was called Mount Normal, which neighbored Mount Accomplished and Also Totally Emotionally Fine and Great.
It was indisputably, in my mind, the tallest mountain that ever mountained.
But every mountain is different, and every vantage point is different, and every plan of attack is different, and every mountain trekker is different.
How to Make the Trek, No Matter the Mountain
Whatever your mountain may be, from Mount I Don't Know What to DO With My Life to Mount If I Am Not Married By 26 I'm a Failure, know that you can trek it one stride at a time.
You can walk in a group to make the trek more fun, and share the snack and water carrying duties.
You can walk a few hundred feet and set up camp under a nice cactus that looks like its giving the sunset the middle finger, because it makes you laugh and why not.
You can also look up every now and then and notice that maybe you actually no longer care about making it to the top of this mountain, and pull out your map to find a much more leisurely and scenic trail on Mount Forget Internalized Societal Expectations We Have a Jacuzzi on Top Come On Over that is just a short jaunt to the East.
Take your next step.
Your decision will be the best one because it was made by you about your own beautiful life.
There is no timeline.
There is no predetermined destination.
You can change your mind at anytime or sit down for as long as you please under some shady nature.
It's your life, and your mountain range.
If it’s helpful, give your mountain a creative name. Picturing yourself gaining ground and getting closer to the top of Mount Whats it Called just might help you give yourself a little grace and honor the journey as much as the destination.
Want to share the name of your mountain? Tell us in the comments! I’m sure there’s someone who has made the same trek before who can offer some great tips for your journey ahead.
Yours in trekking and resting,
Emily Rose // Miss Magnolia
Check out these Related Posts
The Path Forward is There, Even When You Can’t See it - The path emerges only as you walk it. Check out this post for lessons learned on the path of life, and how to take the first blind step forward.
Comparison Chatter - How to quiet the part of your brain that obsesses over “shoulds,” and find the answers within yourself.
Grab the Guided Journal
If you are looking for more brain-bending questions and inspirational anecdotes for your trek up the mountain, get yourself a copy of Write it to Right it: The Guided Journal for Serious People with Scattered Brainthoughts. You can also download a sneak peak of chapter 3 by entering your email in the footer below. Happy journaling!