What’s the difference between a dream and a goal? A dream is what you have before you dedicate yourself to achieve it. An example for me: I have a dream of running a mile under 5 minutes. And I’m afraid if I don’t make it a goal soon it will always stay a dream.
One of my others dreams has always been to climb Mount Everest. I remember learning about it as a kid. I remember my teachers telling me that only the best climbers in the world would attempt it (oh how I hope to prove them wrong). The mountain, as well as the country it is in, seemed so far away for that poor kid on the other side of the world who spent countless hours day dreaming about bigger things. What chance did I have of visiting this foreign environment? And yet I distinctly remember thinking “I wonder when I’ll climb it?” Now obviously I had no clue just what it would take to make that dream a reality but the seed was planted. And it stayed planted. Just beneath the surface, ready to shoot up when the timing was right.
That is until I started climbing. It was then that I realized how hard it is to climb even a 14,000′ peak (14er). All the sudden that seed got pushed way, way down. For several years I thought that my desire to climb Everest was gone. I happily trekked around the U.S. climbing rock formations and hitting as many 14ers as I could. But those trips had an effect that I didn’t see coming. They sharpened my mountaineering skills. They galvanized a sense of determination. They humbled me the times I had to turn around before reaching the top.
I didn’t realize it until later but if that seed had not been pushed down it would have never found the nutrients it needed to grow. It took years before I realized that the desire had returned. And when the seed finally did start to sprout it was not the exaggerated or whimsical growth I envisioned in my youth. It was different in its maturation from what it had been when it was a dream. Where before there was fantasy, now there was strength. Now there was personal growth, experience, and mountaineering exposure. There was a confidence that I could not only make it to the top, but that I know I could turn around early if the conditions were not right. Finally, I was ready to commit to the mountain. I was ready to pursue my goal.
Note: Much like my current 33 year old self, my 10 year old self is still very excited
Up with Wes 