I recently recorded a podcast on the topic of “banging against the wall” as it relates to the documentary film “The Dawn Wall.” I found the film so inspiring that I’d like to share a few more thoughts here on the idea of traction.
The dawn wall is the nearly barren face of El Capitan in Yellowstone. Several ascending routes existed on El Cap by the time Tommy Caldwell came to the wall, many of which he himself pioneered, but the Dawn Wall itself - named after the first portion of El Cap to be illuminated daily by the rising sun - remained unconquered. In fact, the wall seems to have been largely unattempted due to its featureless nature: the smooth surface of the granite left few discernible grasps or holds.
For six years Tommy Caldwell studied the wall. There are shots in the film where he’s simply staring up at it, others where he’s examining it through a telescope-style instrument, and other frames in which he’s rappelled down from the top (having hiked up the back side) in search of anything on the wall that he can climb. All the while, Tommy is taking careful notes, mapping his discoveries, and connecting potential routes.
He was literally looking for traction of any kind.
Think about that for a moment: what is that endeavor, effort, or ache that you just can’t seem to get traction on? We’ve all been there; probably many of us are there right now. For whatever it’s worth, here are some of my main coaching takeaways on this topic from The Dawn Wall:
Give it time
Tommy spent six years finding staring, studying, falling, and failing. In this modern western culture of Prime shipping and viral videos, the long game is a lost narrative. But it’s still the path to breakthrough.
Dig in
The summit didn’t just take him six years of effort, it was all-in, all-consuming effort. At one point in the film he uses the word “obsessing,” as he reflects on the journey. Tommy was crystal clear on what he wanted, and that’s the critical piece to discerning whether or not to persevere or retreat. Either option is viable because it’s always all about the learning.
Get a view
As I mentioned earlier, Tommy left no option on the table when it came to his search for traction: he stared, he studied, he mapped, he banged against. A new perspective, a slight turn of the gem, can yield new footholds (hint: this is where coaching comes into play!).
Take the leap
Despite the years and hours preparing, training, and mapping, Tommy and his climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson (who’s own journey in this film is equally inspiring) left the ground on a cold morning at the base of the wall with key sections of their route yet to be determined. In fact, not only were they uncertain on some routes, but there were pivotal sections connecting routes together that neither of them had successfully managed to stick. And yet the time for waiting and practicing and training and researching was over; it was time to climb.
This last point has been especially poignant for me. First, as I already mentioned, I took a leap into the podcasting realm. Questions that limited my movement in this direction sounded like, “What do YOU have to offer?” or “Who are YOU to be in this space?” Eventually, I had to turn my focus onto questions like “But what might I learn if I try?” and “Who do I want to become and how might this move me toward that?” So I leapt!
Second, I’m pursuing offering several different coaching packages in the coming future. I’m really excited about how they may impact the lives of clients! All the usual limiting beliefs are whispering in my ear, but I’m digging in, taking the necessary time, and getting closer to the leap:)
What about you?? What are you banging against that needs a new perspective? What are you waiting on to be perfect before stepping out into? What do you need to double down on? What do you really, really want?
