#8: Self Belief and Focus
Welcome to our Monday evening call, where we’re diving deep into mindset. Hopefully, the tech behaves this time—last time, we had a few glitches! If you’re listening to this on replay, take time to reflect and apply what we cover today. I want to start by framing this session. I went for a bike ride today—it was sunny, mild, and felt like spring was finally here. It got me thinking about something a client said: he didn’t want to reach May and suddenly feel like he had to scramble to get in shape. That inspired me to ask—how do we prepare ourselves now, so we don’t feel behind when adventure season kicks off? I want you to fast-forward in your mind to summer. Picture yourself gearing up for an adventure. Are you ready? Or are you scrambling to catch up? What holds you back—anxiety, limiting beliefs, or just self-doubt? I know I’ve had those moments. I’ve looked at mountains and thought, “This is daunting.” I’ve woken up early and thought, “Maybe I just won’t go today.” Even experienced adventurers feel that. It’s normal. I remember the first time I went mountaineering in the Cuillin on the Isle of Skye. Those mountains are sharp, aggressive, and exhausting. I stood at the base and thought, “Can I actually do this?” But over time, I learned to trust that feeling and push through it. That’s where preparation comes in. We don’t want to reach an adventure and feel like imposters. That’s why I talk so much about stacking undeniable proof. If you look at a big goal, like completing the Cuillin Traverse, and all you see is a massive gap between where you are now and that challenge, you’ll hesitate. But if you build small wins—hiking easier Munros, tackling ridge scrambles, pushing distance on the bike—you start proving to yourself that you’re capable. That’s why I encourage regular exposure. I have a rule: One full day in your adventure environment every month. A long weekend every quarter. A full week every six months. It’s about consistency. If you can’t train in the mountains all the time, you need those moments to test yourself. Otherwise, when the big moment arrives, you’ll feel unprepared. We also need to lower the bar to get started. There’s no point in setting a huge, audacious goal without breaking it into manageable steps. If your goal is a huge trek, start with shorter hikes and progressively challenge yourself. Proof builds confidence. For example, I’m training for the TRAKA 360 gravel race. 360km sounds massive. But instead of focusing on that number, I break it down: first, I hit 160km, then 200km, and so on. Each milestone builds my belief that I can do it. The same principle applies to every adventure goal—if we just focus on the end, we get overwhelmed. If you’re struggling with self-doubt, I encourage you to do this: think about the thing you’re most insecure about in your adventure training. What’s stopping you? If we identify it, we can build a way through it. And let’s be real—sometimes, we overthink instead of acting. Planning isn’t doing. Watching videos isn’t doing. Reading about it isn’t doing. You have to get out there. If you catch yourself making excuses, challenge them. I’ve turned back from mountains before—not because of conditions, but because I talked myself out of it. And I regretted it. To wrap this up, I want to leave you with a challenge: take action this week. Step towards your goal. If you don’t, I’ll be in your inbox asking about it anyway! We’re not here to blame external factors. We’re here to take ownership, build proof, and get after it. Let’s go. Just f***ing do it.
