A letter from Robert Glazer Founder & Chairman of the Board, Acceleration Partners From United States to me

A letter from　Robert Glazer 　Founder & Chairman of the Board, Acceleration Partners From United States to me

Friday Forward - The Climbs (#517)
Are you chasing the right summit in life?
Robert Glazer
Jan 2






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If you study high achievers, or live long enough as one yourself, you’ll start to notice a pattern.

People spend decades climbing metaphorical mountains. But many of them reach the summit and find the view lacking. Though this problem has been documented for centuries, it doesn’t stop each ensuing class of summit seekers from falling into the same trap.

For years I’ve studied the research about why some people feel energized and fulfilled by their work, while others, even after years of success, feel exhausted or empty. I finally had a realization after a recent discussion with a successful entrepreneur who was weighing what to do in the next chapter of their life. This epiphany was resonant with my own journey as well.

Many discussions around achievement use a metaphor of two mountains. You climb one mountain in the first part of your adult life: build a business, become a successful doctor, lawyer or executive, master a sport, or become a great artist. Then, past the midpoint of life, you find your second mountain focused on giving back to your family, your community, or the world.

But life is rarely so neat and sequential. Most people, whether they realize it or not, end up on one of three mountain climbs, each with a different path and payoff.

Climb One: The Wrong Climb
The Wrong Climb was likely chosen for you by your parents, cultural expectations, or your peers. Your younger self set out on The Wrong Climb in response to that pressure.

You did what the world told you: Go to the right school. Land the impressive job. Buy the house. Hit the number.

You’ve rarely enjoyed this climb, even if you excelled at it. You have money and security, but you’re always working, so you’re spending most of your waking life doing something that doesn’t bring fulfillment, and doesn’t give you time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

For example, you might be a wealthy, respected surgeon, but you find you envy your friend whose more flexible job permits them to coach their kid’s travel soccer team and be home by dinner most days. The world tells you that you’re successful, but that success often feels hollow.

The reason is that this was never your climb to begin with; other people pushed you on this path. Now, you’re not sure if you can change.

Climb Two: The Disappointing Summit
You resisted pressure from your parents, peers and societal expectations and picked this climb for yourself.

You set a goal: Start a company. Build wealth. Publish a book. Make the bestseller list. You work hard with people you enjoy. Most days, you enjoy what you do, but you tell yourself it will all be worth it when you reach the summit.

Then a funny thing happens: you reach the summit, and the view doesn’t match the story you told yourself. You assumed the destination would justify all the sacrifice. But while the feeling of accomplishment was a nice high, it faded fast and left you feeling empty.

So, you do what you do best: move the goalposts and seek out the next summit, hoping it will bring the sustained feeling of success. Build a bigger company. Write a better selling book. Keynote at a bigger conference. And the disappointment repeats once you reach that next summit.

The question is: why is The Disappointing Summit so, well, disappointing if you chose it?

The reality is that your choice may have incorporated more extrinsic influence than you realized. You made the decision, but it was likely influenced by ego, fear, comparison or community. Or maybe it was the urge to prove someone who doubted you wrong, or to heal your insecurities.

The satisfaction you felt during this climb was always more about the carrot dangling in front of you. Work hard now, feel great forever once you reach the summit. But the summit was simply a brief moment in time, and you’re not sure what’s left.

Climb Three: The Vista Climb
This climb looks entirely different from the start. It may be the same mountain as The Disappointing Summit, but rather than ascending straight up through the woods, you have an incredible view right from the beginning, like a ridge that overlooks the ocean, or a mesa where you can see a deep valley the entire trip. This climb has a challenging but manageable grade, maybe five percent. It’s just enough to make you sweat, but not enough to burn you out.

On The Vista Climb, you don’t need a summit or destination to feel fulfilled. If you hike for 30 minutes today, that’s enough. If you spend half a day, it is even better. You’re climbing because the fresh air feels good, the exertion makes you feel alive, and you love the view.

Here’s what makes The Vista Climb different:

You don’t dread the effort, you enjoy it.

Progress feels meaningful, even when it’s slow or measured.

You’d still choose it, even if no one else knew you were doing it.

With every step, you feel more like yourself, not less.

The Vista Climb is when your daily work and actions are powered by your core values. You are doing something you truly love, such as leading a company with a mission that is extremely important to you, or writing and speaking about a message that you are passionate about. This climb may be just as financially rewarding as the others, but money isn’t the motive or the destination; it’s the natural outcome of becoming world class at meaningful work.

The Real Choice

If you started out on the Wrong Climb or ended up at the Disappointing Summit, you’re not alone. Many people do this and eventually go looking for something else.

In fact, the first or second climb often gives you the freedom, flexibility, or awareness to seek out The Vista Climb later. That’s not a bad thing, though one could argue fulfillment comes sooner for people who find their Vista Climb earlier.

The hardest part of this climb is adjusting to the reward being the journey and not the destination. The Vista Climb looks different. It doesn’t follow the same timelines and it’s not driven by status or validation. And chances are, it’s not what anyone else is pushing you to do.

That’s why a lot of people never find it or recognize that it may be what they are missing.

But once you do, everything shifts. You stop asking “what’s next?” and start enjoying the climb for what it is.

It took me far too long to learn that.

Make this the year you find your Vista Climb. The first step is getting clear on your core values, and seeing where in life you are aligned to them, and where you might be in conflict.

Quote of The Week

“Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress.” – Charles Kettering

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-Bob
robertglazer.com

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