Seek challenges that defy your limits
Seek challenges that defy your limits
How to maintain motivation in the long term and make sustained progress
In 1935, a 16-year-old boy took a field trip with his school to the Ruapehu volcano in New Zealand. He didn't know it then, but that day would change his life forever.
When he reached the top, he felt something he had never experienced before: the vertigo and beauty of being so high up, the sensation of immensity. There, at the top, he understood that there was something beyond the landscape that moved him to climb, it was the feeling of surpassing himself at every step. In the summers, he learned the family trade with his father, stacking; in the winters, he climbed the mountains.
Between the painstaking work with his bees and the enormous strength needed to climb peaks, he forged his character.
Each time he climbed a mountain, his ability grew.
In 1939, when he was only 20 years old, his first great achievement came: the ascent of Mount Ollivier, 1933 meters, with his two closest friends (Johnston, 2005). There was cold, wind and doubts, but also the satisfaction of reaching the summit.
But there are greater challenges, there are higher summits to reach.
In 1948, at the age of 29, Mount Cook became his new feat. It was the highest in New Zealand, at 3764 meters. But, as is often the case with great passions, the thrill of trying to surpass ourselves makes us achieve extraordinary things.
The mountains of New Zealand became too small for him and he sought new challenges.
In 1951, at the age of 32, he was part of an expedition that took him to the Himalayas, to the imposing Cho Oyu, 8188 meters, the 6th highest mountain in the world. Although they did not manage to reach the summit, reaching only 6200 meters, that experience prepared him for what was to come.
Everest, the challenge of a lifetime.
In 1953, Edmund Hillary, the boy who had started out climbing local mountains while his bees flew for nectar among the flowers, became, along with his partner Tenzing Norgay, the first human to reach the summit of Everest.
There, at 8848 meters, where the sky seems to be touched with his hands, he achieved his greatest challenge.
The source of motivation
Edmund's background gives us a clear picture of what it takes to maintain habits over time.
Mountaineering at these levels is not an activity for everyone. Climbing huge mountains under extreme conditions, where every step brings you closer to the physical limit, is a difficult challenge to overcome. Despite this, Edmund took on the challenge repeatedly over many years, improving his technique and ability with each ascent.
His success was not immediate, in fact there were difficulties, many, but he did not stop.
He spent years progressing on lesser mountains, gradually honing his skills until he reached the ultimate summit: Everest.
Why do some people, like Hillary, manage to maintain their habits, whether climbing mountains or developing a skill, while many of us have difficulty maintaining motivation? How can we create habits that motivate us and that we don't give up over time?
The key lies in one concept: manageable difficulty (Miner, 2015; Margolis & McCabe, 2003; Dörnyei, 2000).
Push your limits
The brain loves a stimulating challenge, but only if it feels possible.
Imagine if Edmund had attempted to climb Everest with no experience on smaller peaks at the age of 16. It would have been too overwhelming and his motivation would probably have faded as he climbed a few hundred meters. On the other hand, if he had spent all his time climbing easy hills, he would have quickly lost interest in mountaineering.
Think of his progression from the local peaks, through the national peaks of New Zealand to the towering heights of the Himalayas.
Each new mountain offered just enough challenge to push him without overwhelming him.
With each ascent, Edmund found himself completely focused on reaching the top because he saw it as possible, it was a challenge that would push him to the limit, but it was possible. This is just when we experience the peak of motivation, when we face challenges that push us to the limit but that we can overcome if we try hard enough (Yeager & Dweck, 2012).
Neither impossible, nor too easy, but just right when it is challenging.
Quantify your progress
If you want your progress to motivate you, measure your progress.
Having a clear way to measure your progress gives you the positive feedback you need to motivate you (Locke & Latham, 2002). Those who train in the gym know this perfectly well, they know how much weight they are capable of lifting in each exercise and their motivation stems from seeking to beat their marks little by little.
For Hillary, each ascent provided this positive feedback.
Reaching the summit was the ultimate measure of success, but each small victory, whether it was reaching base camp or overcoming a challenging ridge, gave her a dose of motivation to keep going. He knew he was on the right track.
In other areas of life, the measurement may be different, but it's just as important.
Find what you're passionate about, make it manageable, measure your progress and repeat it daily.
✍️ It's your turn: What goals do you have in mind? Did you plan them this way? I try to look at writing in a similar way.
💭 Quote of the day: “As I stood on top of Everest, I looked across the valley to the other great peak, Makalu.... it wasn't the end of it all, far from it. I kept looking beyond, toward other interesting challenges.” Edmund Hillary.
See you soon, take care of yourself! 👋
References 📚
Akoorie, N. (2020, 22 september). Original photos of Sir Edmund Hillary’s epic summit of Mt Everest up for auction. NZ Herald. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/original-photos-of-sir-edmund-hillarys-epic-summit-of-mt-everest-up-for-auction/ECYEEP7NE4EPBRJMW33MGQOW6E/
Dörnyei, Z. (2000). Motivation in action: Towards a process‐oriented conceptualisation of student motivation. British Journal Of Educational Psychology, 70(4), 519-538. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709900158281
Johnston, A. (2005). Reaching the Summit: Sir Edmund Hillary’s Life of Adventure. DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley).
Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2002). Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35-year odyssey. American Psychologist, 57(9), 705-717. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.57.9.705
Margolis, H., & McCabe, P. P. (2003). Self-Efficacy: A Key to Improving the Motivation of Struggling Learners. Preventing School Failure Alternative Education For Children And Youth, 47(4), 162-169. https://doi.org/10.1080/10459880309603362
Miner, J. B. (2015). Organizational behavior 1. En Routledge eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315702018
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: when students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302-314. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.722805
Great post and it reminded me of "differentiation" or "differentiated instruction" where teachers are supposed to slightly modify assignments, requirements, and tasks to students ability levels such that they can be motivated and grow as learners and thinkers. Recently, I have learned of differentiated supervision as a way to supervise employees or teachers and ensure the structures, conditions, and more are in place for them to succeed.
Excellent post thanks.