The Story of Wildcat Mountain
Back in the early 80’s as a young married couple with no kids, my husband and I loved sight seeing and hiking in the fall foliage season in New 
England. One such lovely day, we took a ski lift up the mountain, snapping photos and taking in the majesty of the brilliant hues. When we were ready to head back down the chair lift, my husband had a unique idea – let’s not take the chair lift; let’s hike down.
He described a lovely walk in the beautiful sunshine and fresh air, and we would make it back to the lodge in about an hour to an hour and a half tops. I looked down at the lodge and having no inner sense of measurement of distance, I agreed.
We started the hike, chatting and enjoying the view. But after a while, our knees were getting tired walking downhill, and despite the fall chill, we worked up a sweat and were now carrying our jackets. After an hour, it became apparent that the lodge seemed just as far off now as when we began. And the afternoon sun was clearly continuing its journey toward sunset.
This was the early 80’s with no cell phones. We were in trouble.
I spotted a large rock nearby, exclaimed I need a break and sat down. My husband was incredulous and dove into a full-on rant.
“Are you crazy? What are you doing? We can’t afford to take a break. Do you think someone’s going to stop by and rescue us? Do you think you can call a cab? We’re both tired and our legs hurt. But stopping doesn’t do anything to move us forward. The sun will start to set before we know it and there are no lights here. We’ll be hiking down a mountain in the dark! We can’t get down faster by taking breaks. We have no choice but to continue walking straight down no matter what.”
I was furious at the situation but I knew he was right. And clearly, that message stuck with me to this day.
How I Use This Experience Every Day
I have that photo, framed, near my desk. His speech helps me in tough situations to stop the pity party and continue doggedly in my quest to reach my goal. Ironically that “keep moving forward, no matter what” speech helped me through caring for him when he was near the end of his life. 
I’m sharing this personal story because we all have a Wildcat Mountain to endure during our business journey as well as our personal lives.
Stopping to complain and feel sorry for ourselves is not going to get you closer to your goal. You have to keep focused and you must keep moving.
How Is Your Entrepreneurial Journey Going?
Are you moving smoothly forward or feel like you’ve been hiking forever without getting closer to your goal? If you ever find yourself in a business challenge that’s frustrating and exhausting, reach out to me. I understand. Let’s talk about getting you refreshed and motivated to continue your journey.