Nobody Gets to the Summit Alone
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
29,029 vertical feet.
That is what it takes to scale Mount Everest.
On July 24 at 6:00 a.m. ET, I will begin an event called 29029 at Mont Tremblant in Quebec. The challenge is deceptively simple. Hike to the top of the mountain. Ride the gondola back down. Then do it again. And again. And again. Fifteen total climbs covering 25.5 miles over a 36-hour period until I’ve climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest.
When I first signed up, it sounded exciting, adventurous, and maybe a little crazy. Now that it’s only a few weeks away, it feels real. I’ve spent months training and preparing for what will undoubtedly be one of the most difficult physical challenges I’ve ever attempted.
As I think about what lies ahead, I find myself reflecting on one of the most important principles from The Life Is Too Short Guy…
Can’t Make It Alone.
At first glance, 29029 appears to be an individual challenge. I’ll be the one climbing the mountain. Nobody can take the steps for me. Nobody can carry me to the summit. But as I thought about this newsletter, I realized something important: every meaningful accomplishment in my life has other people’s fingerprints all over it.
Family. Friends. Mentors. Teammates. Business partners. Readers. People who encouraged me, challenged me, supported me, and believed in me. The older I get, the harder it becomes to identify anything meaningful in my life that I accomplished alone.
At some point during those 36 hours, probably around climb ten, eleven, or twelve, I know I’ll be exhausted. I know the voice of doubt will show up. The voice that says you’ve done enough. The voice that suggests quitting would be reasonable. The voice that questions whether you can finish.
Every one of us knows that voice. It appears in business, relationships, health, and life. The challenge isn’t climbing the mountain. The challenge is continuing to climb when that voice arrives.
That’s why I’m asking for your help.
On July 24 and July 25, I’d love for you to join me in a simple experiment around the principle of Can’t Make It Alone. Send me a text, reply to this email, share a quote, a joke, a story, a memory, or simply tell me to keep climbing. My cell phone number is 201-927-4758.
I have a feeling that at some point during those 36 hours, a message arriving at exactly the right moment may provide the boost I need to take the next step.
But here’s the important part. Don’t stop with me.
Send a text to someone else who may need encouragement. Reach out to a friend. Check in on a family member. Thank a mentor. Support a colleague. Let someone know you’re thinking about them.
Most people are fighting battles we know nothing about. A simple message can change the trajectory of someone’s day. Sometimes even their life.
Life was never meant to be a solo journey. None of us can make it alone. We all need people who challenge us, support us, inspire us, and help us keep moving when the climb gets steep.
When I reach the summit for the fifteenth and final time, the accomplishment won’t belong entirely to me. It will belong, in some small way, to every person who helped me get there.
That’s true of this mountain.
And it’s true of life.
None of us gets to the summit alone.
Keep climbing.
Regards,
Scott
The Life Is Too Short Guy