I’ve mentioned my buddy Ben before. How he isn’t just a divisional vice president.
He and I were recently on a call for an upcoming backpacking trip in the Winds (err, Wind River Range). Having hiked a hundred-some miles with him last summer through the Sierra, he was curious how I planned for a long-ish trip like that. After experiencing what we encountered in the Sierras, he was a little concerned about the terrain we may encounter in the Winds. Ben wanted to know what I did to prepare. I had to think about that for a bit. My answer, like my answer for Susan about coming up with a vision for her future, maybe wasn’t very helpful.
I told him I just go.
That needed some explaining, so I confessed my planning vs. showing up and making decisions in the moment was maybe 20/80. Meaning, I’d spend a little time looking at maps, reading route descriptions, and getting a general sense of what we’d encounter. The bulk of my ‘planning’ though is on-sight. See a pass, find the route of least resistance to the top, and from there plan the next line of least resistance down. For our trip last summer, rinse and repeat that approach something like fifteen times. Give or take.
Granted, our planning vs. just doing the thing ratio is going to differ dependent on how comfortable we are in the situation. The ratio isn’t what’s important. The just going is.
