This past weekend my son and I took our 2nd annual fishing trip getaway to Mammoth, Ca. This tradition started last year because we try to get all of our outings in before the month of August, because that is when tackle football starts, so July has become the Mammoth Father/Son getaway weekend.

The Path is already there, just take one step at a time!
As part of this weekend, one tradition that we do is called the “Moat Lake Hike. This is a very hard hike for all of us. The hike is about two miles long, but mostly uphill. We encountered something new this year, SNOW! We knew that there would be snow on the mountains, but didn’t expect there to be snow on the trail. But that did not stop us. This is our annual hike, we decided we will not quit.
You can see in the video below, my son is crying and I am telling him “the steps have already been made, just follow them.”
It was so great to have this opportunity with my son, such a great learning experience. To physically learn that steps have already been made, and that you don’t have to be the first one to take the steps, just follow the path that others have already created, just make sure its a successful path.
We try to pave our own path everyday, trying to be unique, trying to be different, and that is ok. But, why not follow in the footsteps of others and learn from their mistakes? If you are not reading any good books right now, get your hands on one. If you are not listening to motivational speakers like Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, maybe you should take a listen.
I spent so much time trying to do things on my own, and that led to failure. One of the most important books I read was “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. That book taught me the power of the mastermind. Even if you cannot find someone to mastermind with, you can have your own mastermind by simply inviting people like Henry Ford, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, etc. How do you do that? You read books on these guys, and you try to imagine what they would say to you if you were in the same mastermind group.
I know it is kind of weird to think about doing this, but it works, believe me, I have tried it.
When my son was suiting up for his first football game last year, I grabbed his T Shirt that he was going to put on under his pads and I wrote on it “I Climbed Moat Lake!” using a Sharpee marker. He was so proud to put on that t-shirt. I told him that anytime he feels like football is getting too hard, just remember what is written on your chest. This years t-shirt will probably say “I climbed Moat Lake in the Snow.” I am sure there will never be anything harder on the football field than what my son experienced that day.

When You Reach the Top of the Mountain, All the Tears will Stop!
So what is the hardest thing you have ever accomplished? I am sure it was much harder than getting more offline clients. Or I bet it was harder than creating an information product that you can sell online. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. The fact is, if you just take one step at a time, you will be able to start making the money you need to quit your day job, provide for your family, or maybe even pay for that vacation that you deserve.
I remember being so upset at myself for taking on this internet marketing journey. I had a great job, benefits, no worries, and I gave it all up to take the road less traveled. But I soon found out that if I followed some paths that had been created, and learned from others mistakes, it helped my speed up my success.
On my T-Shirts I wear the slogan “Fight On” Although at one time I was like my son, crying and worried, full of fear, but now I am like him in this picture, big smiles and just enjoying the beauty of life.
Don’t ever give up on your goals. Although that mountain seems like a really hard climb, you can make it if you just keep taking steps. Sometimes you might have to take a step back, but keep your momentum going forward.
Hope you like this post, I thought it might be fitting for so many of you who might be struggling. Take each day as a lesson, learn from it, move forward and keep fighting on!
