Other than getting nothing done due to reading productivity and personal development blogs, my true passion is mountaineering. “So what?” I hear you shrug. Well, I want to talk about a concept from climbing that has a big application in our everyday life.
The traditional set-up for two climbers ascending a mountain is for them to be linked by a rope, with one climber taking the lead and the other following. Usually the lead is alternated as the climb progresses.
The greater the difficulty of the terrain, then the greater the emphesis on the skills and strengths of the climber in the lead. On moderate climbs this may just be plowing the first tracks through the snow – the origin of the phrase ‘breaking the trail’. In rock climbing, the difference between being that first climber, and being the second is such that we often talk about being ‘at the sharp end’ when we are at lead.
‘At the sharp end’ symbolises the phychological challenge of being the leader. It is usual for a climber to be able to climb significantly harder when second on the rope than when first – the difference being purely in the head.
So how is the relevant to you? Well, the sharp end could be:
- Those first few weeks after you get a promotion at work and are finding you feet.
- When you start anew job.
- When a new project kicks off.
- When you try to fix something at home for the first time.
- A first date.
- Giving a speech for the first time.
When you are at the sharp end you feel both nervous and excited. You tend to live minute-by-minute rather than day-by-day. You’ll probably perform at 90% of your ability, but feel like you are giving it 110% of your energy. You’ll feel like you are learning at light speed, and behaving instinctively.
And what is the benefit of all this panic? Well, in climbing, the more time you spend at the front, the better you get climbing in general, and the greater you appreciation of the activity as a whole. The same is true of life – the more time you spend outside of your comfort zones, then the more fulfilling your life will feel, and the greater things you’ll achieve.
Go on then. Spend some time at the sharp end.
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