Today is Day One of 2025. Our neighbourhood is blanketed in silence as folks slowly wake up to a new year, full of new promises and possibilities.
For many, today is the traditional time to make a "new year resolution" – to reflect on the past and set intentions for the year ahead. You’ll hear the usual goals: lose weight, quit smoking, find a new job. And while these are commendable aspirations, my challenge to you is to think bigger. Much bigger.
Fellow New Zealander, Sir Edmund Hillary, made history in 1953 when he became the first, alongside Tenzing Norgay, to climb Mt Everest. His famous saying? "We knocked the bastard off." For years, Everest was considered insurmountable, a dream too lofty to become reality. But Hillary (an Auckland-based beekeeper at the time) and Norgay proved otherwise. They had a singular focus: to reach the summit. And they did so in spite of all of history telling them it couldn’t be done.
So, I ask you, what’s your Everest? What have you dreamed of conquering but haven’t yet found a way – or the will – to pursue? Is it creating a body of work that defines your artistic voice? Learning a skill that feels tantalisingly out of reach? Starting a business that aligns with your passions? Writing the novel you’ve carried in your heart for years? Or simply embracing a new way of thinking, one that dares to challenge the limits you’ve placed on yourself?
Once you've identified your Everest, the next question is what will you do about achieving it? Ambition without action is just a wish. What will you sacrifice (time, money, comfort, distractions) to make room for this action? If there is no sacrifice, then your goal is not big enough. Great accomplishments demand great effort as you climb to your personal summit.
Remember, Hillary’s Everest wasn’t conquered in a day. It was the culmination of years of preparation, planning, failure, and resilience. Your Everest will be no different. Break it into steps, tackle it with determination, and give yourself grace along the way.
As we stand at the start of 2025, let this be your call to action: to dream bigger, climb higher, and aim for something that truly inspires you. Don’t settle for a resolution – resolve to reach your summit. What’s your Everest? Go on, knock that bugger off!
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