Controlling The Controllables & Accepting The Rest

I leave for Hood 2.0 on Friday.

To say I’m excited is an understatement. I’m also a bit anxious and nervous too, which I think is a very normal thing.

For those of you who might not know, I was supposed to climb Mt. Hood last year but a storm blew in the night of our attempt so we didn’t climb. That’s why it’s been dubbed Hood 2.0.

(Don’t feel bad about the storm - I got engaged the next day so the trip was definitely not a wash.)

This time the weather actually looks nice… too nice. So nice and warm that now I’m a bit concerned about conditions again.

But, alas, there’s only so much I can control. And the weather is not one of those things.

Honestly, I’ll just be happy getting some time in the mountains.

However, it leads me to what I want to chat about this week: controllables.

You see, there are things that are in our control and things that aren’t (like the weather). This is obvious and most people can acknowledge this.

Despite that, I still see so many people get so frustrated at both.

In my opinion, and this might seem blunt, if something is entirely out of your control then it’s a waste of energy to be upset about it. It might be frustrating, yes, but it’s not worth it. It’s out of your hands.

And on the opposite side, if there is something in your control that you chose to or not to do, for whatever reason, it’s also better to accept that outcome and carry on. Acknowledge that YOU did or did not do something that might’ve been helpful or made X or Y easier and move forward.

This concept is something I had to learn when I played soccer. As a young goalkeeper, I took a lot of goals scored personally. I mean, I was the one who tended the goal, right?

True, but as I grew and developed, learning how to move forward was another skill. Recognizing what was directly in my control and what wasn‘t was also a skill. Both showed me what I needed to continue to work on.

Let’s break down some of the controllables and non-controllables for my upcoming climb to help some more.

Controllables

• Relationships: it’s up to me to put effort into my relationships both at home and on the climb; I can control how I interact with everyone which will directly affect support before, during, and after the climb

• Training: it is up to me to be fit for the climb and build a training plan to do that; I can control research and building the training plan

• Adherence: it is in my control how many sessions I followed through on, even if I didn’t want to do them

• Gear: I was provided a gear list by my outfitters, so it is in my control to show up with that gear or rent it from them or I might not be allowed to climb

• Nutrition: how I fuel myself ahead of the climb is in my control; I can choose to eat freely or I can acknowledge what I know prepares me best

• Mentality: how I approach the climb is my own device; there is a difference between being naive and staying optimistic; I acknowledge the risks but will approach them with an open mind and prepared to listen to the guide

• Sleep: how much rest I do or don’t get ahead of the climb is in my control; there are slight exceptions with the flight and such but it is up to me if I stay up or go to bed early

• Arrangements (hotel, car, payments): ensuring that we make it to Mt. Hood in time for the Skills session and have a place to stay is in my control

Non-controllables

• Weather: just as before, the weather is unpredictable and nothing I can do will change it

• Acclimatization: I cannot control this entirely but I have taken steps to help this the best I can (staying at the lodge, proper hydration & rest); however, there are elements I cannot control here

• Guide & Group Members: I chose an open group climb; I cant control who my group is filled with or who the guide is

So, you can see there’s a lot that’s in my control. That’s on me. I’ll hold myself to a standard on all of those. There are also things that I have no say in. All I can do is accept those, and carry on.

There’s a level of accountability there but it’s also about perspective. If you constantly beat up on yourself for every little thing that happens, are you actually going to let yourself enjoy the wins?

Because wins don’t have to be big.

In fact, I challenge all of you to try journaling three positives or wins each day this week. I don’t care how “small” they are. I bet by the end of a week you will start looking at things differently.

Here, I’ll do it right now (the evening before this email was sent out) to give you an example:

• Today it didn’t rain! I was able to mow before we leave!

• I’m feeling really optimistic about HELM’s growth (increased consults, more ad clicks, interest from others at the gym).

• The sunset lighting was gorgeous tonight.

So, the next time you have a big goal or find yourself frustrated at something, try asking yourself what’s in your control and what isn’t. And while you’re at it, take a second to think about some positives in the day. Both are great reflective exercises and ones that help put things in perspective.

I’m super excited for the weekend and sending all of my positive energy to the mountain right now for a safe & successful climb (and, more importantly, descent)!

Stay stoked 🤙🏼