When it comes to challenges, for Alex Honnold, the steeper the better.
In 2017, Alex became the first rock climber ever to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan free solo. The then-31-year-old scaled the nearly 3,000-foot wall in three hours and 56 minutes — without ropes or any protective equipment. After achieving the unprecedented feat, he was asked how he handled the mental preparation for a difficult (unfathomable for most) climb.
“People think I just walk up to a sheer cliff and climb it with no knowledge of anything, when in reality, there's tons and tons of information out there, and I'm already well tapped into it,” Alex said.
In other words, there was no extreme, undue challenge Alex took on without adequate due diligence. 2020 presented ALL of us new kinds of unforeseen challenges. COVID-19, from preventative lockdowns, to safety precautions, to proactive shifts in service delivery, is forcing us to reevaluate and recalibrate our journey. It challenges us to extend our reach, to tighten our grip, and secure our harness along the way up. A new normal demands a new way of looking at our customers, and ourselves, in 2021.
Consider the Challenges.
- Challenge #1: Evolved Print/Workflow Behavior
- Challenge #2: Remote Clientele Realities
- Challenge #3: Customer Engagement Obstacles
- Challenge #4: Enhanced Departmental Collaboration
- Challenge #5: Agile Services Delivery
- Challenge #6: Elevated Personal Development
- Challenge #7: Staying “YOUR” Course in the midst of it ALL.
Visualize the Challenges.
When Alex plans on doing something challenging, he spends the time visualizing what the experience will feel like and what the individual sections of it will feel like.
"I'll think through what it'll feel like to be in certain positions, because some kinds of movements are insecure, and so they're kind of scarier than other types of moves," he said. "So it's important to me think through how that'll feel when I'm up there so that when I'm doing it, I don't suddenly be like, 'this is really scary.'"
Before you start your climb, visualize: What does your own particular professional challenge look like? What are the daunting or uncertain moments? What measures will you take to ensure a positive outcome?
Prepare for the Challenges.
Alex prepared for his ascent of El Capitan with exquisite detail. The notes he took during prior climbs of El Capitan (with ropes) were detailed. He had a plan in his mind. He tested multiple routes.
There were few moments were Alex wasn’t training. He went to Morocco to train on the cliffs there. He had a finger pull-up bar in his van. Training was his life. Why did Alex train? He trained because his life depended upon his training. If he wasn’t fit and capable of climbing 3,000 feet, he would die.
Your challenge at Datamax isn’t life or death – but customer livelihood is certainly at stake in a fluid business environment still filled with COVID-19-related uncertainty. What are ways you can prepare yourself within your role? What training is out there for you to exceed your current limits?
Welcome the Challenges.
Not everyone knows this, but Honnold has his own verb. “To honnold” — usually written as “honnolding” — is to stand in some high, precarious place with your back to the wall, looking straight into the abyss. To face fear, literally.
By considering, visualizing and certainly preparing, we overcome said fear. In the end, it's not about el Capitan, the 3,000 ft. of elevation, or even the thrill and danger of doing it free solo. It's about exceeding limits that others have set in our path.