The Importance of Having a Vision and Getting Out of Bed (for Ski Touring and for Life).
The Importance of Having a Vision and Getting Out of Bed (for Ski Touring and for Life).
On a recent early morning ski tour, I was reminded (again) that it’s vital to keep in mind where (and why) you’re going, regardless of how things may seem around you at the time.
We all know that feeling, right?
Alarm clock goes off.
You fumble for it, knocking over the bedside lamp in the process.
Thinking to yourself: “Is it morning already?”, as you try and make out the time on the phone screen by staring at it through one eye (opened abnormally large).
Indeed it is!
Feels like you can sleep for another thousand years.
No, no, getting up.
You stumble out of bed as the vision of why you set the alarm so early starts to become clearer.
Now only if you can make it to the coffee machine…
Why did I get up in the end and head out on that ski tour (or bike ride / run / hike / family outing / etc.)?
Because I remembered the reason I’m doing it.
My vision.
My why.
The thing I picture in my mind before it is real.
Ok, fine, the coffee helped too.
You see, on early morning spring ski tours before work (generally between 3am-7:30am) it can be hard to get up and out of bed sometimes.
A lot of the time, actually.
Even though I’ve done it many, many times.
And stumbled over our son’s monster trucks many, many times in the dark.
And even though I told myself the night before (while setting the alarm) that it was going to be hard to get up, but just ignore it and get up anyway.
Why is that, anyone know?
Wait, I’m digressing.
Where was I?
Oh yes.
Ski tour. Early morning. Life lesson.
At the start of these early morning ski tours it is dark, and all I can see is the beam of my headlamp.
I don’t know how things are going to be higher up.
I have an idea based on reports and local knowledge, but nothing is certain.
Yet I keep going based on this vision of how things could turn out.
Sort of like in life, sometimes, when all you can see / make sense of are the things happening immediately around you.
And we tend to forget to keep that longer term vision in mind, losing motivation.
We get back into bed, metaphorically speaking.
Fortunately on this morning, I didn’t.
And boy, was I rewarded.
Solo first tracks up a local peak after fresh snow the day before, moonrise over snowcapped mountains, an amazing sunrise over a sea of mist far below as I started my descent back down.
It was special.
So why am telling you this?
No cunning plan, actually.
I was going to share the images from the ski tour as another image set this week, because things have been a bit busy work and family life wise lately (making images come more easily for me than writing words, although I enjoy both). But as I thought about the adventure I realised there’s actually a valuable life lesson in there.
One I thought worth sharing.
For whoever needs reminding (mostly me) as we head into the new week:
Don’t get back into bed, smash that alarm clock, get out there and crush it by keeping your vision - your why - in mind.
Let’s go!
Damn, that escalated quickly from image set to deep life lessons!
That’s it for this week, hope you enjoyed a little insight (and general life motivation) into ski touring around my local mountains.
Do you have any interesting ski touring stories or just stories and / or thoughts to share?
Simply hit reply and let me know / comment below.
Have a great week!
—
Until next time ✌🏽.
Cornelius
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I needed a reminder to smash that alarm clock! I love going with you on these ski-tours, it's a magical place that even when you're solo up there, you manage to convey the worth with those that weren't there as if they were. Your images are fire. Thanks for sharing your morning ski-tour thoughts!