Squashing Uncertainty by Being Prepared

Next week my fiancé and I are snow shoeing 8 miles into the snow covered mountains to stay 2 nights at a small hut in the woods. And as the date of our departure approaches I find myself getting more and more nervous. Even contemplating if we should back out.

But why? I’ve done plenty of similar adventures in my life and they have all turned out to be amazing experiences. Even if there were periods of pain and discomfort I can’t name one I regret. Adventures like this is the reason I moved to Colorado.

It’s not the distance I’m worried about. 8 miles, 2,000 ft of elevation gain, is pretty mild for me, and for my fiancé (even though she wouldn’t admit it). We’ve done harder, longer, trips in Colombia and Switzerland. Trips where we had to carry more.

So what is it about this trip that has got me questioning why I wanted to do its in the first place? What strings is my resistance pulling in my head and how do I overcome them?

As I pondered it I realized the main concern is the uncertainty of it all, and that I didn’t know much about what we actually signed up for. I knew very little when I booked the hut, and I’d done no research since booking it. Instead I’ve just gone over and over it in my head guessing at what it might be like with no information. 

The “what ifs” we’re taking over. The “what ifs” that cause the most stress in life. 

But I’ve realized over the years that if you can take away the uncertainty, you can drastically reduce your stress, and greatly improve your chances of performing well. But it requires some work.

So yesterday I started doing some research, and already things are looking better. For one, I found out that the hike is actually 4 miles in, 4 miles out. I’d missed the “out and back” type when I looked the route up (most people hike to the cabin and come back the same day). Which is a nice relief because while 8 miles is in our wheelhouse, 4 miles means we can start later, take our time, and carry more comfort items.

I also watched a video and got to see the inside of the cabin. Relieving some stress about where we’d be sleeping and what we’d be sleeping on. I got a good look at the kitchen setup including the pots, pans, and utensils that are available. I also saw how the snow melt, our source for water, works. There are a couple of metal buckets you fill with snow and bring inside and set on top of the wood stove. Pretty straightforward.

I also looked back over the website to see what else is supplied so I could determine what to pack. Kindling, fire wood, toilet paper, sleeping pads, a camp stove, are all provided. It looks like we’ll need sleeping bags, pillows if we want them, and our sleeping bag liners. We also need a small propane tank for the stove. And of course as much food and snacks as we’re willing to carry.

The biggest concern which we have no control over remains the weather. Right now it looks like it’s hovering in the negative degrees. Brrr. But I found two different websites with detailed weather reports that I can follow leading up to our trip so we’re not walking in blind.

With all that information I now feel 10 times better about the trip and I’ve also been able to plan a couple of day hikes from the cabin for our one full day there. What we would do all day was another concern (god forbid we’d hang out with nothing to do) that is now alleviated.

Taking the uncertainty out of things, whether it’s presenting to a group of people, taking a test, going on a job interview, or going on a new adventure, is really the key to feeling confident and ready. Being prepared, having a plan, and knowing what to expect can take you from worried to excited. From timid to charismatic. When it comes to a big event, a little preparation makes all the difference. 

Intuition vs. Resistance

Everyone has two voices. Which one do you listen to more? 

Voice 1 says: let’s cook.

Voice 2 says: let’s just order pizza, its been a long day. It would be so much easier.

Voice 1 says: let’s go to the gym.

Voice 2 says: you just got home from work, relax a little bit, unwind. You deserve it.

Voice 1 says: let’s read.

Voice 2 says: ok, but let’s check our phone first.

Voice 1 says: you know what would be really nice, if I bought my partner a nice set of earrings for her new piercings.

Voice 2 says: earrings are expensive, we’ve been spending too much money recently. Also, I don’t know which ones to get. Let’s do something else, something simpler, and cheaper. 

There’s so many conversations that take place in our heads every day. One voice is telling us what we need to be doing. It’s guiding us along our path towards our best life. The other voice is coming up with every excuse under the sun to convince you not to do it. It’s too risky. You’ve never done it before. You have time, it doesn’t need to be done today. 

Which voice are you listening to?

Listen to your first one, that’s your truth. Ignore the second one, that’s your resistance.

How often do we try to avoid the thing we need?

I wanted to go for a walk during a break at my conference, and put a granny smith apple in my car for the drive home. One path, a direct line to my car, was where the videographer was interviewing people on camera. I could’ve avoided being in the picture and went straight for my car, but I remembered from the day before that he had asked people to stay away. So, I obliged. 

The other path to my car was lined with a group of women from the conference. They were sitting in a circle under a tree, chatting it up. I didn’t have it in me to pass by them and possibly get roped into a conversation (two days of a conference will make you want some time alone), so at first I hesitated, and then I decided to go anyway. 

At the same time a good looking middle aged guy with long blonde hair, looking like real salt of the earth, walked over to them and offered them something. Not wanting to be solicited, and again wanting to be alone, I thought about changing course. 

But, I fought the urge, and I decided, better to just go and see what happens. There was no other way to my car without making it very obvious I was trying to avoid everyone.

I ended up meeting Josh. An amazing human being exuding tons of positive energy. The granny smith apple in my hand caught his attention because he had picked them the day before with a friend, along with two baskets of plums that were made available to everyone at the conference.

He immediately asked “and what’s your name?” and we struck up a conversation.

He started reading the tattoo on my right forearm that is written in classical Tibetan. A language that I would assume less than 1% of the population could read, let alone identify. It turns out Josh learned San Script and Tibetan during his time in Nepal with the Peace Corps.

Back from helping humans in foreign countries, he’s an arborist “healing trees from human problems.”

When he asked me what I did, and I didn’t have a direct answer for him (see Mismanaged Moments, lying about my job), he interpreted what I was trying to say. “You’re trying to figure out how to speak your truth.”

Our encounter only lasted a few moments, but in those few moments I felt this renewed sense of energy and confidence, because this man who I had never met before managed to make me feel loved, accepted, and put a smile on my face. 

My intuition, my energy, was pulling me down the path towards Josh. My resistance was saying “don’t go that way! You want to be alone right now.” That’s the tricky thing about the resistance. Most of the times the resistance sounds logical, and more than not it will tell you the thing you want to hear. The thing that will make your life feel easier.

Discerning between intuition and resistance I think is the battle we all face every day. I’m glad I got this one right, and I got to meet Josh.