It’s true – no matter what that adventure is, you should always feel this way about starting! Optimistic, energized, determined to bring the focus and drive to make it a successful venture. Coupled with that optimism is the dark side of adventure – fear of the unknown. Fear of the correct process, the path, the partner, the roadmap. Ultimately, fear of failure is what stops many of us adventurers from even starting!

My story is not unique, it happens to people like me every day. I’ve spent 30 years “adventuring” in corporate America. It’s a very safe place to be an adventurer. The trails are mostly paved, or at least well worn. Many people have gone before me, and many will take that trail well after I’m gone. In fact, there are even maps posted along the way – performance reviews, talent assessments, promotions, etc.. For the most part, each one of those 30 years was spent “progressing” along the trail. Of course, there were a few times when my path suddenly disappeared when the company I worked for changed direction and I found myself off the trail a bit. However, with minimal effort, I jumped on a different trail and headed out. Elevation changes weren’t bad – it was pretty easy going. Every once in a great while, I’d meet up with a great partner and climb really big hills – pushing my limits and feeling energized by it. But in recent years, I have been traveling on the same trail – a long loop. I became all to familiar with the landmarks along the way and knew what to expect and how to succeed with minimal effort. There’s nothing worse for an adventurous soul than repetition and tedium.

Some workers appreciate the repetition and mastery of the route; in fact they set that as their terminal goal. It’s a very comfortable spot to be in – you know what your days hold, you know who you’ll meet on the trail and you know exactly which sunny rock you’ll choose to eat lunch at. You know you can easily finish the route by the end of the day, and get home in time for dinner and family. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed and took advantage of those trails when my personal life was out of balance. Who needs to climb out of a deep ravine at work when you have a mountain to climb at home? Nope, I totally get it.

But in reality, it’s not for me. And my friends know that about me as well. To continue the hiking metaphor, I met a friend one day on the trail. As we met, she asked me “Jenny, why are you on that trail?” I paused and said “Because it’s my job”. And she asked me again, “why are you on that trail?” and I tried again “Because I enjoy the scenery and I am familiar with it – ??”. Then she looked straight in my eyes and grabbed my hand -“ Jenny – why are you on that trail!? Can’t you see that you can create your own path??” I paused again, scratched my head and said haltingly “Well, I suppose so – but how on earth could I? I don’t know anything about that.” The conversation kept going with my friend helping me remember the trails I blazed but had forgotten about. And with that question, she helped me see that there was an opportunity in front of me that was mine to explore.

That was about a year ago. Since then – I carefully considered the trail I was walking on. I had come to memorize nearly every tree, rock and flower along the way. I looked for new vistas, new friends and new challenges, but had limited success. I found myself longing to get off the trail and onto a new one.

And so three weeks ago, I resigned. “It’s not you, it’s me”… “It’s time for a change”…. As I said these words over and over again, I knew I had stepped off the trail and started walking towards an unknown section of the wilderness. I waved farewell to my friends, they all wished me best of luck and hoped to see me again. I knew it would be only when our trails interconnected somehow; that I would never get back on the trail they were on.

And then a few days ago, I lost sight of the old trail and am looking out on the most intriguing vista – blue sky, amazing forests and prairies, a lovely lake in the distance. Today I find myself with my toes on the upper ledge of a huge cliff. It’s time to jump! Am I afraid? A little bit – a healthy amount. But I know one thing – if I stand on the edge of this cliff for long, I know this beautiful vista will turn into another predictable scene; the vibrant colors will fade and I’ll start looking over my shoulder. So it’s time to take that leap and START TO SUCCEED! Follow this blog for updates on my adventure. I’ll try to keep the metaphors to a minimum (I promise), and focus on the more surprising things I see along the way. Maybe you’ll learn something about adventure and how to start your own!