Overcoming Procrastination: Lessons from El Capitan
After a two-year hiatus, I'm relaunching my newsletter with a powerful lesson I recently learned about procrastination and overplanning. Have you ever had a project or initiative that you delayed starting, caught in the perfection trap? I certainly have, and a recent experience on El Capitan taught me the value of just getting started.
An Unexpected Adventure
In May, I received a call from legendary climber Steve Schneider, inviting me to join him and his wife Heather on El Capitan with just six days' notice. Despite not having trained or planned for such an endeavor, I accepted the challenge. Unfortunately, we couldn't complete the initial route due to time constraints, leaving me at the base of El Cap with all my gear and no partner.
Seizing the Moment
Undeterred, I called my son (Manley version 3) on short notice, and within 24 hours, we were ascending El Capitan. We spent five days and four nights on the wall, tackling one of the more moderate routes—though there's truly no easy way up El Cap.
The Power of Unpreparedness
This experience taught me a crucial lesson: we are capable of far more than we think, even with minimal preparation. While planning is important, having the necessary skills and resources often suffices. We tend to overestimate the need for perfect conditions and underestimate our ability to adapt and succeed.
Applying the Lesson to Business
This realization extended to my professional life as well. Since 2017, I've been planning to offer an open enrollment version of my “Vertical Experience” program. Despite years of experience and expertise, fear and perfectionism held me back from launching this new format.
The 80% Rule
I've learned that waiting for 100% readiness often leads to missed opportunities. Aiming for 80% preparedness and then taking action is a more effective approach. As Nike famously says, “Just do it.”
A Call to Action
What project or initiative are you holding back on? What do you need to exponentially commit to in your life? Remember, we are capable of much more than we think, and we often don't realize our true potential until we push ourselves. If you're interested in joining my upcoming Vertical Experience on November 1st or want to share your own story of overcoming procrastination, I'd love to hear from you. Let's inspire each other to take that leap and discover what we're truly capable of achieving.
