The other day, I thought: Wouldn’t it be amazing to skip to the part where “I’ve made it”?
We all do that. We crave fast-forwarding the hard bits. Who wouldn't want to skip the messy, uncertain middle? Everyone would.
Now, imagine they drop you off at the summit of Everest via a helicopter without the weeks of climbing and getting used to the altitude. You’d collapse from altitude sickness within minutes.
Sahil Bloom explains this well:
"The climb is a necessity, not an option. If you got dropped at the top of the mountain, you'd pass out from the altitude. The climb physically and mentally prepares you for the summit."
We want the result without the resistance. We want the win but not the effort. We want the summit, but minus the climb.
But without the climb, the summit is meaningless. So when things get tough, it’s not a sign you’re off course. It’s proof that you’re on it.
It’s not the same as climbing Everest, but one of my goals was to keep a journal - obviously. I had started and stopped journaling multiple times.
I asked myself why I couldn’t stick with it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the words got out of my brain and onto the paper (or my journaling app) easily? I wanted the journaling habit without the struggle of building it.
Then my perspective changed: The point is to keep going, so consistency matters more than intensity. Writing one sentence some days and multiple pages on others was fine, as long as I showed up daily. This point of view freed me to be honest.
I have written over 1,100 journal entries and counting in the last three years. It has become second nature to me. I feel stressed when I haven’t journaled by late evening. I feel great when I journal first thing in the morning, as I offload all my thoughts and clutter onto paper (or my journal app). This helps me easily see what’s happening and what I must work on or change.
Journaling might be one of the best habits you could have. Not only will it help your writing, but it will also clear your mind and improve your mental health. Start with one sentence today.
The climb is the point.