At age 17, Kirstie Ennis enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, pursuit in her parents’ footsteps. On tour in Afghanistan in 2012, enemy fire shot lanugo her helicopter. Six people died. She barely lived.

The physical and emotional pain got so intense in the years that followed that she attempted suicide. Then, in 2016, she made the visualization to move vastitude her past and her limitations. She had her left leg amputated to end the chronic pain and began climbing mountains.

And not just any mountains. Since 2017 she has scaled the highest mountains on each of six continents. Next spring, she’ll struggle to well-constructed all Seven Summits by scaling Mount Everest. In fact, she came within 200 yards of summiting Mount Everest a few years ago but turned virtually when her climbing partners ran out of oxygen.

Her journey to these incredible peaks all began with that visualization she made in 2016.

What pain or limitations are holding you when from summiting your mountains?

person standing in front of a mountain at sunset staring at it

While they may not be as traumatic or physically painful, all of us regularly wits imposing limitations. For example, for many years, one of my limitations was conviction in my writing ability.

My job has, and still does, provide many opportunities to write for public consumption — like what you’re reading now! One voice in my throne told me I should printing into that opportunity and do increasingly writing, but flipside internal voice repeated messages like:

  • You’re not that unconfined of a writer.
  • Very few people will superintendency what you have to say.
  • You don’t have time to produce anything worth reading.
  • So many people are largest at this than you.
  • You have increasingly immediate, pressing needs to shepherd to.

Writing for me has often been nonflexible and uncomfortable. Not stuff shot lanugo from a helicopter and losing a leg painful, but still limiting.

Like Kirstie Ennis’ visualization to start summiting the mountains she faced, one day in 2014 I told my wife I was going to write and unconcentrated an vendible related to my work every 1-2 weeks for one year.

She was skeptical but supportive considering she knew me well unbearable to know my real or perceived limitations.

Eight years later, I’ve written over 350 wares at http://mattnorman.com and on LinkedIn, withal with a book and several guest columns. I’m currently working on my next typesetting set to release next year, and people regularly tell me that they unquestionably read what I write.

What have been the keys to summiting these mountains?

  1. Embracing a growth-mindset. I can’t tell you how many times I just write and try to learn to write largest despite those limiting voices. As Carol Dweck’s research suggests, we all wits limiting messages like “I’m not a good writer.” The key to success is deliberately choosing a growth-mindset instead.
  2. Declaring your challenging goals. Ennis supposed the intention to unzip the Seven Summits. I told my wife I was going to write newspaper for at least a year. Research shows that you’re 20-40% increasingly likely to unzip your goals if you write them lanugo and vividly describe them to others.
  3. Working on it plane when you don’t finger like it. No meaningful pursuit comes easy. You have to alimony giving gifts to your future self. You have to commit to the process increasingly than the result.
  4. Find people who will help you. Marla Lepore has been faithfully editing my writing for most of those eight years and has helped me to grow so much. Whitney Sletten, Bryce Kramm, my wife, colleagues, clients and friends have provided encouragement, coaching and support. The self-made hero is a myth.

We’re finishing the year in one month and whence a new one. You’ll squatter mountains you segregate and mountains that you didn’t expect and don’t want to climb. The question is, will you push vastitude your perceived or real limitations to make it to the top?