How to Tackle Really Big Challenges
This week, I did two big things: I spent a few days in the NW Highlands of Scotland scrambling and walking Munros, and I started a new job.
I was excited about both things – in fact, I had worked really hard to make both things happen – really leaned into the preparation ahead of this week.
And both things were scary and hard to tackle, especially at the start.
Why climb that mountain? ⛰️
I like Munros because of the opportunity to take the long view, and because the activity of walking and scrambling can be very absorbing, and this is relaxing for me.
A key thing about Munros, though, is that they are hard to summit. Not all of them, of course, but most require more than average effort and that also means you need to show some persistence, and patience, to get there.
The same is true of really big work challenges – like starting a new project, or a new job.
You are working towards a goal that you can picture, you may even have mapped out a solid route to that goal – but it can be intimidating take the first steps, and you may need resilience and a little faith along the way.
Some tips for tackling big challenges
It might have been just the very strong Scottish sun ☀️ and a bit of light headedness, but it occurred to me that the kind of nonsense I tell myself when I’m struggling up a very steep slope – this is exactly the same stuff I tell myself when I’m struggling to shift a tricky problem at work.
So here are some things that work for me, and might also work for you:
- Take a deep breath, and get some perspective – fear and stress cause panic, and that can cloud our judgment. To get the best from your (skilled and capable) self, take a time out to evaluate where you are right now, your own energy and resources and the external landscape. You might feel better for seeing the progress you’ve already made. You might spot a change in resources or context which means you need a change of plans.
- Eyes on the prize, start climbing that mountain – every impossible task ever achieved was tackled in the same way: one step at a time. I find it usually helps to hold in mind my ultimate goal – but sometimes, things get so bad (and that summit looks so far away) that I’m reduced to looking at my feet and counting to 10 over and over again. This is also okay. The key thing is to keep moving.
- If you get stuck, get help – this lesson took me a while to learn, because I’m stubborn and I think I’m self-reliant. A cragfast hillwalker is someone who has climbed into a situation where they are stranded on a crag, unable to ascend or descend. If this happens to you, in life or in work, stop pretending everything is okay – and just call in some help.
- Remember all the summits you climbed before this one – I don’t know why, but for me the last 100m is often the hardest. When the end is sight, I loosen my grip on my resolve, I stop looking at my feet and I look up again, and the enormity of the challenge hits me. This is the point at which I, personally, need a bit of extra inspiration.
- Remembering that I have never done this thing before, but I have overcome other challenges that felt impossible – this is the inner monologue that usually accompanies me to the end, and the top.
And enjoy the view!
I realise we all have different ways of tackling a challenge – I like to have a plan, and map out the possibilities before I set off, but I’ve had brilliant colleagues and friends who prefer to just get moving, and who are great at thinking creatively and recalibrating on their feet.
Remember it takes all sorts of people (and thinking) to get big challenging jobs done – and of course, there is more than one way to climb a mountain!
Thanks again for reading The Long View, and see you next week 👋🏽
First published on LinkedIn on 2 August 2024:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-tackle-really-big-challenges-jen-ang-2d0de/
