You must free yourself from those fears to achieve your goals. And even when you do, succeeding once isn’t enough.

You need a system that can always help you climb the mountain. So, let’s build a template and train with it as if we were in a climbing gym.

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You are at the bottom of your dream mountain. How can you get to the top if you have never climbed before? 

If I were you, I would start warming up by trying the few first meters first. Here, I could gather and polish my gear. And then, I would get to the next step, where the mountain is steeper.

I would proceed in careful steps. So here are at least five I would never want to skip:

• Gather all your motivation
• Identify the secure steps
• Take a break at each step
• Take care of your mental strength
• And reach the peak of the mountain

One of the best preparatory exercises you can do is visualization. And if you can see yourself on the top of the mountain, it can help you pump up and recharge your confidence. And it might give you the push that forces you to start climbing.

If you fear you can’t do it, the first step will always be the most challenging. But if you force yourself to take action, the rest will be smoother.

So visualize your goal and gather all your motivation. You are still at the bottom of the mountain. But believe you will climb it soon.

Here are some other exercises you could try:

• Repeat positive affirmations about your success and abilities.
• Share your goals with trusted people who can encourage you.
• Minimize the challenges. You want to get going, so ignore all the possible problems now.

Once you start, you must identify secure steps to recollect your breath.

In the beginning, these steps should be more frequent. But after a while, you can aim for more.

I am talking about goals – small and achievable goals. As you climb, you want to identify easier and more challenging goals. And you want to create a smooth progress that doesn’t throw you out of the cliff.

• Small goals help you counter your insecurities and give you a safe space.
• And you don’t want to start fighting your fears with a series of failures. Therefore, your goals must be achievable.

You cannot climb a mountain in a day. I mean, you can do it if it’s 100 meters high. But what achievement would that be?

So take breaks and cherish your achievements often.

• After each small goal, give yourself a small reward, a pat on the back.
• And after each milestone, have a party.

Milestones are a great way to remember to cherish your achievements. And your confidence will suffer if you ignore them and never celebrate them.

Also, plan your parties – envision them. Thinking about the rewards will keep you motivated and increase your grit.

When you start climbing, many people will be cheering for you. But as you get higher, their voices will vanish. And somebody would have already left. So take care of your mental strength now that you are alone.

You can pick whatever practice helps you remain calm and self-centered. But mindfulness is one of the best ways to check your internal state.

Mindfulness will bring you many benefits. For example, you will build self-awareness and compassion. You will spot challenges in advance. And it will prepare you for future relapses or unexpected problems.

You are almost there. You almost did it. And that’s when the last breath of wind pushes you off the cliff.

When you are almost at the top, you are also more fragile. Your attention drops because of the fatigue and the false belief you finished.

Also, you start thinking about the people who reached the top before you.

But comparison will always make you unhappy and insecure. And you know why? Because there will always be someone who did things better. Someone who climbed faster or reached higher heights. But if you can’t even cherish your successes, why did you even start?

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