What we can learn from hiking

One reason why some knowledge and skills gaps don’t get bridged is…

the same as why some streams don’t get crossed:

The person that bumps into one believes that the “whole path to get across”,

every single step,

has to be figured out before she can take the first one.

Without risking getting wet or hurt.

Truth is,

waterproof boots exist.

Puncture-resistant boots exist.

Boots with a slip-resistant sole also exist.

Heat-resistant boots exist.

Insulated boots, for cold weather, exist.

Boots with bindings to prevent ankle-sprains exist too.

In short,

there’s a pair of boots for almost every hazard known to man.

Except a pair of “all-hazards-proof”.

You can’t buy that.

Me, neither.

Cause they don’t exist.

Cause there’s always some sort of risk,

some sort of hazard,

tied up to “trying to accomplish something we haven’t done before”.

Or haven’t mastered,

yet.

But,

as hiking teaches anyone who starts walking on a non-beaten path,

getting across a stream of water becomes possible when you make the smallest steps possible.

Meaning,

by setting foot on the rocks,

the stepping stones that are closest to one another.

Instead than by aiming for the big leap,

by using the boulder in the middle of the water.

Unless your goal is to get hurt or wet,

or both.

The fun part?

This small-steps “game plan” works with overcoming any other obstacle.

Whatever its size.

Whether it’s stream,

a knowledge-gap,

or else.