Get Outdoors with Anitra

I have been writing a short book about life lessons I’ve learned from backpacking.  I have also given slideshow presentations on my lessons to middle school students.  I thought I would take excerpts from my “book” (I use that term very loosely) and post them here since, this is a blog about the outdoors.  So with out further ado here is the excerpt from…

Chapter 3, Lesson 3

Ok, so here’s the part you’ve probably been waiting for if not since the first post of the book, then at least since the end of chapter 2.  Lesson 3 is critical.  It’s possible that when you were dreaming big you got a little overwhelmed.  You are probably an over achiever, have an extremely high level of self-confidence or are just a heck of a dreamer.  Either way, good for you!  I mean it.  I think it’s great that you have such a big dream.  Not enough people have that big dream and even worse, not enough people recognize that dream and make strides to reach it. 

Now here is where things get a little tricky.  If you have a big dream it’s possible that you are now in a state of paralysis.  You have no idea where to begin.  This state of paralysis happens to many of us.  It’s happened to me in the past and luckily I’ve learned something about it.  Something I want to share with you, hold on…here is the secret.

Walking from Georgia to Maine or from Mexico to Canada is a pretty overwhelming prospect.  Sure it sounds totally doable sitting in the comfort of your living room, freshly showered, eating something recently taken out of the refrigerator.  But if you haven’t prepared yourself, that first night when you are laying out under the stars you are totally overwhelmed by the thought that you still have over 2000 miles left to hike. 

If you are lucky, you’ve already realized that this is going to happen to you.  That thought will enter your mind.  It can make you quit if you haven’t made a plan.  It can drive you mad.  It will toy with your resolve; it will suck the fun right out of your journey.  When I think about my journey, I don’t think about hiking from Georgia to Maine, or Mexico to Canada.  I only have to hike to the next town that has food.  So I only have to walk 4 or so days.  That’s it.

I make these mini goals of just getting to the next town.  I don’t have to worry about getting all the way through the trip.  I only have to get to the next town with food.  If I connect these town stops and I make it to each one, eventually I’ll come to realize that, in the case of the Pacific Crest Trail, the next town stop is…Canada.  Before I know it I have reached my big goal.  I’ve made it to the end.  I have been successful.  I did it.  It’s a great feeling to achieve your big goal but it also feels good to reach the little ones knowing that they add up to the big goal.  

Lesson three simply says:  make little goals, that when added together, reach the big goal.