Mountains & mild peril – 5 business lessons from Striding Edge
On Friday, for my 40th birthday, my husband Ant whisked me away to the Lakes to climb a snowy Helvellyn, via Striding Edge.
He thought I’d appreciate knowing ‘I’ve still got it’ at the age of 40.
If you don’t know it, Striding Edge is about 1 1/2 km of narrow Grade 1 scramble, with sheer drops either side into the valley below. On Friday it was covered in ice and snow.
It also involved a Spiderman-esque climb to the summit, cutting foot and hand holds into the snow with an ice axe as we went.
Trying to beat the sunset.
And then, descending down Swirral Edge, literally sliding on our backsides, using the ice axes as anchors to avoid plummeting off the sides.
Because I can’t help it, here are 5 business lessons I got from the experience:
1) Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes looking up, or down, can be overwhelming. Just keep going
2) Use the right tools for the job. Without crampons and ice axes, we’d have been in real trouble. But with the right tools, it was so much easier. (and ice axes are cool)
3) It’s easier to go forwards than go back. The future might be unknown, but giving up is not an option
4) I freaked out about having to climb the smooth, vertical chute of snow that led to the summit of Helvellyn. But then I spotted a path to the left, a route I hadn’t seen before. There’s always a way.
5) I met my edge… And then found what was on the other side. Lightbulb moment: I’ve been playing it safe. I’ve been operating in my comfort zone. Ant forced me right out of there, and in doing so I not only met my edge, but I was able to play there and coax it outwards. And now I’m excited about what that means for the future.
And yes, I’ve asked to go to a spa next year.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) I kick off my favourite free event, my visibility coaching series.
It’s all about how to raise your profile, authentically, for values-led leaders and entrepreneurs.
Would you like to come? There’s still time to register – just check it out here.