To date, I’ve undertaken to climb three of the Seven Summits: Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, and, recently, Mount Aconcagua—an arduous two-week climb that drew deeply from physical and mental reserves. And while making the summit yields a sense of accomplishment it comes at the price of pushing beyond one’s perceived limits. At the same time, I know that the demands of the climb itself, will ultimately enhance my personal and professional performance.
It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.
– Sir Edmund Hillary
On the way to the summit, I’ve learned the value of mental preparation, the intense focus and discipline of training under the guidance of a professional coach. Because up on the mountain, mental resolve can make all the difference when conditions get rough or the unpredictable happens. On Aconcagua our group encountered dangerous 50 mph winds at 19,000 feet. What’s the smart move? “Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”1
Likewise, as an investor you have to be ready for the unexpected, the Black Swan—and ready to pivot while quickly assessing risks. If you’ve built a foundation of knowledge and cultivated a flexible mindset, you’ll be able to think clearly and creatively. You’ll have the tools to decipher permutations between various market movements. As an investment manager, I need to be savvy enough to make tactical moves in times of uncertainty, to eliminate investments that seem to be vulnerable to changing events yet also remain alert to opportunities that arise.
Anyone who’s “topped out” on a mountain, run an ultra-marathon, or completed an Ironman, knows that you have to maintain a lucid state of mind even when you’re hurting. Good climbers drive themselves yet maintain a heightened awareness of their surroundings and fellows. They’re vigilant about footing, breathing, and heart rate at altitude, retaining intentional focus or “mindfulness.” Cultivating one’s mental “toolkit” certainly helps when crises arise in any sphere.
Aconcagua required that I push myself physically and emotionally, calling for a set of skills I’ve yet to fully master. I came home with a new appreciation for our guide’s technical skills—but equally for the level of care they showed for us in the harshest conditions. All in all, it was a life-changing experience with “ample doses of suffering and pain”2 that has given me access to a new level of discipline and tenacity. I’ll rely on both enhanced skills as I work toward achieving the highest excellence.
- Ed Viesturs, mountaineer and author, “No Shortcuts to the Top” and “K2”, quoted at https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/174009-getting-to-the-top-is-optional-getting-down-is-mandatory
- Jensen Huang, CEO NVIDIA, quoted by Peter Yang, https://creatoreconomy.so/p/15-life-and-work-principles-from-jensen