Build a back-up plan is a common refrain in the business world. Whenever targeting a big goal, business gurus preach the value of having a Plan B in case you don’t reach your goal. But what if not having a back up plan is the best approach? Is there merit to intentionally foregoing the safety net in order to reach beyond expectation to seize the big goal?
Risk In Search Of Reward
Alex Honnold, a world famous rock climber, recently stunned the international climbing community with his death-defying climb up El Capitan. El Capitan is a 3,000 foot granite wall in Yosemite Park, long thought as impossible to scale without ropes and proper equipment. Alex climbed it free-form style – that is, with just his bare hands and a bag full of chalk to keep his hands dry. Alex went up 3,000 feet in less than 4 hours, and he did so navigating a surface that is much like walking on vertical glass. He had to shimmy into cracks, he had to walk along inch-wide ledges and had to contort his body and dangle in open air from only his fingertips. His climb has been hailed as the most impressive climb in the history of the sport.
In Control Of Fear
Alex is not an impulsive person who woke up one day and decided to try this on a whim. After all, he was already one of the best climbers in the sport. However, there are a few things about him that are incredibly interesting and instructive to note. There are other climbers that have his same experience, physical strength and balance. What distinguishes Alex is his level of level of preparation and his ability to control fear.
Articles about Alex cite his intense training discipline and his attention to detail in his preparation. He literally spends hours training on simple subtle movements to simulate every step of the climb—so he is very well prepared to meet his challenge. His ability to control his fear is impressive. Alex says he knows he is in danger when he climbs without a rope, but that fear only hinders him on a climb so he mentally puts it aside.
This guy put his life on the line and assumed a goal many would consider insane. However, in doing so, he was able to develop superhuman-like preparation and fear-control mechanisms. This powered his ability to achieve an unthinkable goal, and become the best in his field.
Think about what super powered mechanisms we all could develop if we assumed larger, no back up plan goals. What is your Plan A? Comments or questions? I’d like to hear from you. Please email me at [email protected]