Certified High-Performance coach, speaker, author, husband, adventurer, former commando-paratrooper, and tsunami survivor.
Living in nature for five months, with no distractions or comforts, changes you. It forced me to stay present and taught me more about myself than I ever expected. Below, I’m sharing some of the biggest lessons I learned along the way.
On April 25th, I took my first step from the Mexican border in Southern California, heading north along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I knew this journey would last five months, and as I stepped out, I felt a rush of excitement… but also a little bit of doubt. Was I really ready for what lay ahead? Injuries, exhaustion, and the unknown were all on my mind.
Five months and 4425 km (2750+ miles) later, I stood at the Canadian border, having kept a continuous footpath the whole way. Yeah, every single step. It still blows my mind.
• Total distance: 2750 miles / 4425 km
• Total days: 156
• Rest days: 17
• Daily average: 19.8 miles / 31.8 km
• Longest day: 62.1 miles / 100 km
• Pairs of shoes: 5
• Rattlesnakes: 15+
• Bears: 5
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1. The goal is the journey, not the finish line
We’re obsessed with end goals: crossing the finish line, ticking the box, achieving the thing. But what truly matters is the journey and who you become along the way. If we only focused on the outcome, we miss out on the 95% of life that happens before we get there. Worse, once we hit the goal, we just set another one and start chasing again.
Slow down. Appreciate the process. That’s where life is lived.
Life today is comfortable, too comfortable. For most, staying alive doesn’t demand much more than showing up. But something hasn’t changed: growth and innovation still comes from struggle. It always has. The trail beat me down (blisters, exhaustion, hunger, pain,…), but every time I pushed through, I leveled up mentally and emotionally.
Doing hard things forces you to find a version of yourself you didn’t know existed.
Yeah, the hard days suck. But those days made the victories meaningful. Struggle makes success sweeter. Without the lows, the highs wouldn’t feel like highs at all. I won’t pretend I loved walking 30 miles soaked and freezing, but over time, I learned to find moments of joy even in the misery. That’s the beauty of the struggle, it teaches you to appreciate everything.
Stop wishing for a life without hardship, it’s the tough times that make the good ones worth living for.
“I’ll do it next year.” “I’ll start when things calm down.””I’ll do it later.” ”I’m not ready.” Sound familiar? Sometimes there is a good reason, sonmetimes this is just an excuse. We wrongly think we’ve got all the time in the world. Well, you don’t. One day, your “next year” won’t come. The window will close. The only real guarantee you have is today.
People say “it is never to late to make your dreams come true”, but honestly, one day it will be too late… So why wait?
You’ve heard it before “Never quit on a bad day.” When you’re tired or frustrated, your mind becomes clouded, and your judgment weakens. If you’re going to quit (your job, relationship, or a big dream) do it on a day when you’re clear-headed, not when you’re neck-deep in the struggle and overwhelmed by emotions.
Success comes to those who stay in the fight a little longer.
Walking 2750 miles wasn’t just about reaching a destination—it was about learning how to live fully, how to face discomfort, and how to embrace the struggles along the way. These lessons didn’t come easy, but they’re truths that I carry with me now, long after the trail has ended.
We all have our own “trails” to walk, whether they’re literal or metaphorical. Don’t wait for the perfect moment or the right conditions to take the first step. Life isn’t just about the goals you set—it’s about what you become in the process of pursuing them. So take the hard road. Embrace the suck. Keep going even when it’s tough. And remember: one day, it will be too late to wait.
The journey, my friend, is the real reward.
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