What a rock wall has to do with your financial plan, and why it’s probably a little different than you think…
This weekend, I took my 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son climbing in a gym for the first time.
It seemed overwhelming to them at first. Scary to even consider approaching that wall looming over their heads.
So we eased into it.
First we went to the bouldering walls, to see something a little less intimidating. It required less complexity, less setup, and less understanding of the technical aspects of climbing.
I demonstrated how the holds worked, what it looks like to used your feet and hands together to safely navigate the wall, and even what to do in the event something did happen and you needed to land safely on the mat. Then I showed them how to get back up, get back on the wall, and keep moving forward.
Eventually, we got our daughter to agree to a top rope climb.
First, we set her up with the appropriate protections. I got her safely in the harness and tied her securely to the rope. Then, before she even touched a hold, I showed her how the harness and rope worked together to keep her safe. I lifted her off the ground by the rope so she could understand how it works BEFORE she needed it to work.
Next we looked at the wall together and set a goal. For her first climb, it didn’t need to be the top, but I wanted it to be meaningful. So I asked her where she thought she could get on the wall. After she pointed out a hold, I told her that I know her capabilities, and I think she could actually go a little higher. So I pointed out the hold I wanted her to aim for, then told her when she got there, we can talk again and go even higher if she wants.
She agreed to this goal, and set out to ascend the wall.
Of course, I didn’t just sit back and watch her navigate the ascent on her own. I was there to help her find the next best hold, point out the optimal place to put her foot, coach her through technique, make sure she was using her legs and staying close to the wall, and sure enough, she reached the goal we set together.
On the way down, she got scared. I knew she was safe on the rope, but again, I didn’t just sit back and let the protections we put in place do all the work. No, I went to her, held her up myself, reassured her that because of the protections we established, she was totally safe, and helped her stay calm as she came safely back to the ground.
Together, we identified meaningful goals, created a plan, built in safeguards, and set it into motion. Together, we continued to assess the situation, adapted as necessary, and reached those goals, even when it seemed difficult. And when things felt overwhelming, we sat through that together, reviewed the plan, and were able to take a deep breath and push through because we had prepared for those moments.
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