THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN

“Because it’s there,” George Mallory’s famous reply when asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest.

Every task is viewed from the perspective of the bottom of the mountain. A letter you must write, a performance appraisal for employees, that tax filing you must do. Getting to the start line of that marathon run.

Life is bottom of the mountain stuff.

Wood Allen also famously said “90% of life is showing up.” The problem is getting to the start line, opening the blank document, and writing the first words, getting dressed and making your way to the bottom of the mountain. If life teaches us anything, getting to the start line is 90% of the problem solved.

And most of us never make it there. Mostly out of anxiety of overthinking the target. So focussed on the goal, the end point, and trying extremely hard to work backwards to the start, that we never make it to the start. We do not move from where we are because the discomfort of not knowing how we will move forward will work will play out causes inertia.

ALWAYS SOMETHING BETTER I COULD BE DOING

That’s the other problem. When faced with something you should be doing, we think of more interesting things that we could be doing. Like listening to music. Or watching a movie. Or riding my motorcycle.

It is procrastination but not readily recognizable so. The word better could be replaced with rather, more interesting. When George Mallory replied I’m sure he didn’t stop to wonder why he was actually doing it. Come up with a reason that would satisfy his audience. Come up with a reason that would satisfy himself. The consensus reason. Have a purpose for why I do what I do.

That thing that you should be doing only seems daunting (as Mt. Everest would be to anyone) only because you’re thinking of the plus 12,000 feet to get to the top. Of the sheer climbs, the rope work, the treacherous cold and possibly the statistical possibility of failure proven by many who have not made it to the top.

THE FIRST STEP

Nobody can really see what’s in your mind and as you’re working on something, your critics are bound to ask you many questions as you’re working on something. And sometimes, you don’t even know until you’re somewhere in the middle. Like, “where are you going?” and you say, “I don’t know, just going for a walk.” You’ll figure it out while you’re out there. Some things don’t need too much planning. Too much planning gets in the way of making that first step. Just put on your shoes, grab your keys and step out of the door. Then orient yourself in a direction and move. It’s that simple.

But there are some projects that may take a while longer. Like a longer road trip. Decisions on which route to take. Whether or not you have enough fuel in the car. When to leave and when to return. Or if you’re making a cabinet. Or writing a book. Or an essay. Or doing some gardening. Those may need a little bit more preprocessing, but too much thinking may stall that first step. And for many of those things, even the ones I’ve mentioned, a rough plan is the best plan. Because there’s no such thing as a perfect plan. And in all of those tasks, the result is known, only the path is not fully planned.

FINALLY… ANALYSIS PARALYSIS

The biggest obstacle I find, personally, that fuels the inertia at the start line is not having enough knowledge, not knowing enough, to see the task through. And being afraid of messing up just to start over again. So I research and research until I believe I’ve covered ALL the bases. Thought of all the obstacles. Planned each step and are confident that I’ve thought of all the possible scenarios and mitigated all potential for failure.

Hah!

That process never ends. It ensures that I remain at the bottom of the mountain, looking up at the sheer climb, never seeing the peak and wondering how far up it is and whether I’m standing at the right place for this climb. The overthinking says, don’t even open the computer and start writing because you may need to delete everything you’ve written and start all over again. Don’t go to the start line of the marathon, you may not have covered every aspect of the training and you may not be completely fit enough for this. Don’t write that letter, you don’t have all the facts to present to the group or all the answers.

The truth of the matter is that you never will. And that there’s never a perfect time. And the best that you can do is just take that step, and deal with the lack of knowledge as it comes.