Goal Setting: 5 Lessons I Learnt Climbing Kilimanjaro
An alternative perspective on achieving goals, based on my experience of climbing the highest mountain in Africa.
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I was talking with a client about motivation and goal-setting, we shared our experiences from both sides: as managers and employees, and agreed there is room for improvement in most companies. And we can make better use of behavioural science principles for setting and achieving goals. We talked about how to use the intersections between unconscious and conscious brain to helps us set and achieve goals, tricks we can play and the power of purpose, which is becoming increasingly important in my goal setting. And how we motivate ourselves.
As it often happens, later that evening I thought about my experience of climbing the Kilimanjaro and reflected on how it relates to setting big goals.
So here I share my experience of climbing the Kilimanjaro and what I learnt about goal setting. It is also a good example because it is a clear-cut goal: you either reach the top or you don’t.
The Kilimanjaro is a proper big mountain
I had never climbed a mountain before so it sounded like a crazy idea. But there is more, I had a difficult year: ending a long-term relationship, a challenging work situation and a health scare. I am the kind of person that sees this as the reason to add another challenge to the mix.
A friend told me about her climb the previous year and the seed was planted, the more I thought about it and the more it became the perfect goal to get over a difficult year. I didn’t think too deeply about the rationale for the goal at the time, it just felt the right thing to do. With hindsight the purpose was something like ‘the need to prove to myself I could do something difficult that I had not done before’ and to overcome the bad stuff I had been dealing with.
So, I had a goal and a purpose. That was enough to book the trip, which I did with a friend and as part of a group, of course with the support of a wonderful team of guides and porters. I have always liked walking, but I never walked for more than one day at the time and never at high altitude. My fitness level was just about ok, but I was getting out of breath when climbing a small hill!
Some geographical information to set the context
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain in the world: 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level and about 4,900 metres (16,100 ft) above its plateau base. It was a volcano and you walk around the rim, there are glaciers at the top, unfortunately fast disappearing.
The climb is 6 days, it is non-technical (ie no ropes nor harnesses) and you sleep in tents. A major challenge is high-altitude, at the summit there is 50% of the oxygen available at sea level.
There are two target points: Gilman Point is situated at the edge of the crater rim, at an altitude of 5,756 meters (18,885 feet) and you receive an official climbing certificate to reach this point. And the actual summit Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres (19,341 ft).
It was a wonderful experience and this is what I have learnt about goal setting":
1. We achieve whatever goal we set ourselves
There were 16 people in our group with a variety of purposes for the trip: raising money for charity, personal challenges, and for a newly-wed couple it was part of their honeymoon. Some of the people set themselves the goal to reach the first target Gilman Point (and get the certificate) while for some others it had to be the summit. Each reached the goal they set themselves.
Our mind and body prepare themselves for the goal we set ourselves, we get the adrenaline and what else we need to reach that goal and no more. We are set up to maximise resources and not waste them for something we don’t need. This is what high-level sportsman and successful entrepreneurs do. It also reminds me of the quote “The indispensable first step in getting what you want is this: decide what you want”, Ben Stein.
2. Be aware of your limits
This rarely applies to other goals in such a crucial way. Because of altitude, you can get sick and die. It doesn’t happen that frequency, but it is something you have to be constantly aware of. It also happens within a short time-frame. We don’t get this level of immediacy of feedback in most goals. Awareness of your physical limits is very salient in high altitude climbing. I remember a bad headache on day 2, I admit my first reaction was annoyance rather than fear. Fortunately, the headache disappeared. But it was a useful reminder to be aware of my body reactions, as I have a natural tendency to just keep going and not listen to warning signs.
Unlike the immediacy of feedback during the climb, in our daily lives stress and burnout build up over a long period of time. This makes it more difficult to detect, I have experienced them and remember how the stressful situation slowly becomes the norm and you get used to it. That’s why self-awareness is even more important when you don’t have immediate feedback.
3. Seek and follow expert advice
I am used to walking in cities, you walk fast to get to your destination and grumble at the slow tourists that are in your way. When walking with some other people, I have to make an effort to slow my pace.
Because of altitude and lower oxygen levels, you must walk slowly. That was a real challenge, especially the first days, it is hard to change habits. That’s why it’s important to come up with ways to trick your brain in doing things differently. My solution was to walk at the back of the group and talk with whoever was there, at their pace. The plus side was talking with the local guides, so I learnt so much about them and their lives in Tanzania.
This same advice applies to seeking the real experts when pursuing all our important goals, from marketing or financial expertise for your business to properly researched nutrition advice. None of us can hold all the expertise we need, and it is important — especially for entrepreneurs — to outsource and rely on others, so that we can maximise our time and effort.
4. Plan and adapt
There is always something we don’t plan for. My weak point on the climb was the cold. I was so cold at night that I barely slept for three nights; other people were fine, it was just my body not liking it. Moreover, sleeping bags and tents are not my ideal way to travel, I only do it if I have to. I went prepared: I had the thickest sleeping bag I could find, an extra silk layer and I was wearing several layers of clothes. It was not enough and I found out how sleep deprivation affects capability to move and think. Looking back at the whole experience, this would have been the primary cause of me not reaching the summit.
In any life experience and work situation there will always be the unplanned, the internal or external event that can stop you achieving your goal. With self-awareness we discover our internal weak points and develop tactics to deal with them next time. In my case I know that the next time I go hiking in the cold, I will need to find a solution. For any situation in our lives, we must learn to adapt, this can be adjusting or finding an alternative. Human beings are resilient and creative and can normally come up with a solution.
5. The purpose
I conclude with the starting point: any goal must have a purpose. The problem is that it is often hidden in our subconscious, a few layers from what we tell ourselves and other people. If you have read and follow Simon Sinek, you know what I mean. Same as knowing our true life purpose, our main life goals are based on why we want to achieve them.
I remember a coaching session I had with a client some time ago. He was the most helpful and lovely guy, helping friends with DYI and colleagues with work projects. As part of our session, I asked him about the purpose of the job he was doing. When he replied ‘to make money’ I was stunned, it was my bias to associate that answer with a ‘greedy’ person, which I knew he was not. We explored the layers of that reply and what emerged what a very different purpose, which was ‘provide financial security for my family’, and the extra layer was his parents being refugees.
The climb was several years ago and it remains the most difficult, physical challenge I have done. I have a photo of the Kili in my hallway, a reminder each one of us can achieve the most difficult goals.