Everything Worthwhile is Uphill
You were born to do something great
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In July 2018, three lifelong friends and I climbed Mount Quandary near Breckenridge, CO. The mountain is dubbed a “14er” since the summit is over 14,000 feet in elevation. I was in great shape back then, but that doesn’t mean it was an easy climb. In fact, we hit the trail by 5:30am and had to hustle to the top before rushing back down to avoid afternoon lightning strikes. What an amazing memory.
This reminds me of something John Maxwell often says, which is that “everything worthwhile is uphill.” But “most people have uphill aspirations and downhill habits.”
Perhaps I haven’t heard it said so plainly before, or maybe I’m at a stage in life where the message hits harder. Recently, I’ve reflected on all the ways I’ve lived without intention. I’ve spent far too much energy trying to shape my life to appear acceptable to others, aiming to meet their spoken or unspoken expectations. It’s as if I wanted to learn the rules of the game and build my life around them.
For instance, there were a few years when I became obsessed with golf, thinking it would help me advance in my career. I didn’t practice much, and when I did, it wasn’t with any intention. I spent a lot of money on golf until it began to feel like a job instead of a fun afternoon. There were times when I measured my self-worth by every bad shot. Many who played with me can attest that there were many, many bad shots!1
Look, there’s nothing wrong with playing golf. I spent all of last Sunday watching The Masters. But it does give me pause that I somehow thought excelling at it would help me arrive at a destination I’d been searching for — a sense of accomplishment that would let me know that I had arrived.
So what was it that I was searching for? I didn’t know because I never stopped to ask. I just did what others around me were doing, assuming they knew what the secret was. That’s the thing about living without intention. You can hop on an innertube and float down life’s river heading in the same direction as everyone else, all the while knowing there is more to life.
Have you ever stopped to consider the odds of you being alive at this time, reading this blog, and living in this place? There is no way to quantify them.2
I believe God put you here on purpose and for a purpose. You may have a different belief, and I don’t judge you for that. Regardless, I believe that you were born to do something great with your life: something that only you can do. There are people out there, your people, whom you were meant to serve and help. Yes, it’s so much easier to just suppress that desire and instead pick up your phone, doomscrolling the day away. But you don’t have to. And you shouldn’t.
I’m not better than you. I haven’t conquered the urge to distract myself at times. However, my desire, coupled with action, has transformed my life over the past two years. I believe in you and know that the same is possible for you.
Here are some methods I’m using right now:
Start Ridiculously Small. I’m getting up 15 minutes earlier and writing for an hour each morning. I write bad drafts and improve them over time. For you, it may not be writing but something else you want to excel in. Just doing it each day can’t help but make you better.
Turn off autopilot. Grab a paper journal and start writing without a destination in mind. Get thoughts out of your head and onto paper. It’s a game changer. This practice will help you discover yourself instead of letting your newsfeed decide for you.
Stack your wins. End each day with gratitude. Sometimes I give myself a hard time because I didn’t get everything done I wanted to. So what. Even if it was a tough day, there is at least one thing to celebrate.
You, dear reader, can become who you want to be, one new habit at a time. If you’ve read this far, you may be thinking, Tarek is full of crap and just spouting self-help mumbo jumbo. I get it. Actually, this has been a tough week for me. I didn’t meet many of my goals and have struggled with my mindset. BUT, I’m finding some hope at the end of the week as I recenter on my habits and take intentional action to keep climbing up the mountain. I already know that today will be better than yesterday. Why? Because I decided it would be.
Here's the real truth: the first step in living an intentional life is to start thinking about what you truly want. Will it be easy? No. If it were easy, you wouldn’t make it to the summit.
I don’t know what your highest aspiration is — your definition of success. Perhaps like me, you never spent much time pondering it.
I do not care how old you are or how many failures you’ve had. I believe that you were made for more than what you are currently doing. I believe that you were born to do something great. Today is your day to start climbing your mountain and make your life count!
I'm excited to share that I'm opening a few 1:1 coaching slots! If you'd like to schedule a quick intro call, please reply to this email or send me a DM on Substack. I would be honored to help you reset and begin living your life on purpose.
Likely, the worst shot I hit was an approach shot to the green. Instead of the ball landing softly and rolling toward the pin, I shanked it hard to the left and into the golf cart area. My playing partner looked at me with horror and said, “Just leave it, man, punch it and let’s go to the next hole!”
I love this! Thank you!
I have never (not once!!) had a bitter, sarcastic, or negative thought about you or anything you write about or do. You are pure inspiration, kindness, and humility!