How do you define success?

[WIAPilot]

welcome back pilot, but its a bit more complicated than that.
yes of course you have failed to get from point a to point b, but what did you learn?
even in failure there is success.
ask thomas edison.

You are absolutely correct. Even in failure, there is success in learning how to do things differently so that you will ultimately reach your goal. But the fact still exists that if you do not hike the entire amount and that was your goal, you have not successfully reached your goal. And the same can be said for Edison. If he had stopped on the 900th attempt of the lightbulb and declared himself, "successful" - we would still be in the dark.

[hikerboy57]

Or you might just beside you had the wrong goal all along.

[WIAPilot]

Or you might just beside you had the wrong goal all along.

True, but you would have then changed your goal NOT successfully accomplished your original one.

[coach lou]

True, but you would have then changed your goal NOT successfully accomplished your original one.

In my 55 yrs I've learned that adapting your goals to situations and proceeding forward...is success............HB57...like when I walk with you in August, How long is it going to take me to walk how far? Who knows, but......I'll deal with it, and it will be cool!

[Malto]

If your goal was to thru hike a trail and you fail to do that then by definition you did not meet your goal. But, the whole effort could be a success in that you had fun, found yourself, lost yourself, learned you hated walking, learned the value of training or preparation etc. I personally would have had a very hard time rationalizing calling my thru hike a success had I failed to make it the entire way, but I am also extremely goal oriented.

[hikerboy57]

In my 55 yrs I've learned that adapting your goals to situations and proceeding forward...is success............HB57...like when I walk with you in August, How long is it going to take me to walk how far? Who knows, but......I'll deal with it, and it will be cool!

And I'll be with you the whole way.

[Marta]

A saying attributed to Wingfoot: if hiking the Appalachian Trail is not the most important thing in your life, go do what is.

Most people who start the Trail discover along the way that something else has become more important to them, and so they leave. I have, however, met many, many people whose hikes were not complete who are haunted by a sense of failure. IMO, it is easy while hiking to be misled into temporarily thinking that finishing the Trail is not that important in the grand scheme of things, but that when one has acted on that belief, one finds that one has acted from temporary insanity, and one ends up deeply regretting squandering the chance to have finished the Hike.

For myself, when I was at my most miserable, all I had to do was picture myself trying to explain to someone else why I had not finished my hike. I couldn't come up with a reason not based on temporary weakness--I was wet, cold, in pain, lonely... I knew if I kept hiking things would change for the better.

I also knew that, if I quit then, my personal goal of hiking the whole Trail would compel me to come back and pick up where I left off. So I might as well finish up while I had the time set aside.

I've met a number of people who are on their third or higher attempted thru-hike. If you know deep down inside that nothing less than a thru-hike will satisfy your inner demons, you shouldn't buy into this "as long as its fun" crap because you'll regret it when a momentary wave of homesickness has swept you off the Trail.

[WIAPilot]

Marta - I just finished reading your journal yesterday. It was amazing! ​Good job!

[hikerboy57]

Thank you marta That was very well said.

[Hairbear]

wise people with a wide view point ,and speaking with such passion i love this white blaze feel

[hikerboy57]

you know its funny. i train salespeople and i spend a lot of time on setting goals. i teach them to reach a little higher, i teach that the only limitations you have are the ones you create for your selves, that if you can dream it you can do it and that nothing is impossible , it simply hasnt been done yet. i teach them to reach beyond their comfort zone, because thats where the rewards are.
when you set a goal and you fall short, as marta stated, it eats at you. but the key coming to understand the reasons you fell short, to increase the likelihood of acheiving that goal.or sometimes you need to reassess your goal, as i said earlier, maybe you're working on the worng goal.
Acheiving a goal involves focus. a singlemindedness of purpose, and a commitment to do whatever it takes to complete that goal, and that nothing will satisfy you until that goal is attained.
you set a goal, you create a roadmap to reach that goal, and then you take action on your plan. and just as on the trail, in life, sometimes you need to make adjustments.
and everyoe hikes their own hike both off and on the trail, some will attain their goals, some will fall short, but dont be one of those who doesnt bother to set some, it can push you beyond what you thought yourself capable of, and thats where the sun really shines!!!!

[WIAPilot]

you know its funny. i train salespeople and i spend a lot of time on setting goals. i teach them to reach a little higher, i teach that the only limitations you have are the ones you create for your selves, that if you can dream it you can do it and that nothing is impossible , it simply hasnt been done yet. i teach them to reach beyond their comfort zone, because thats where the rewards are.
when you set a goal and you fall short, as marta stated, it eats at you. but the key coming to understand the reasons you fell short, to increase the likelihood of acheiving that goal.or sometimes you need to reassess your goal, as i said earlier, maybe you're working on the worng goal.
Acheiving a goal involves focus. a singlemindedness of purpose, and a commitment to do whatever it takes to complete that goal, and that nothing will satisfy you until that goal is attained.
you set a goal, you create a roadmap to reach that goal, and then you take action on your plan. and just as on the trail, in life, sometimes you need to make adjustments.
and everyoe hikes their own hike both off and on the trail, some will attain their goals, some will fall short, but dont be one of those who doesnt bother to set some, it can push you beyond what you thought yourself capable of, and thats where the sun really shines!!!!

Hikerboy - You should know what I am saying more than anyone else, albeit you may just be interested in a nice debate.

How many times have your salespeople set goals for themselves and then fallen short of that goal? Many take responsibility and come away from the experience having learned a great deal and many achieve much of their goal and earn a nice commission. But no one should stand up at your meetings and say, "My goal was to gain 2,184 new customers. I only obtained 1,000 new customers because I quit when I decided I didn't really want to reach the goal of 2,184 new customers." Well, that type of rationalization would get your salesperson laughed right out the door! (And he would probably lose his job as well.)

Now he could possibly say, "Even though I failed at my goal, I came away from this experience learning how to be successful next time or I discovered that I really didn't want to be a salesperson; that I want to explore new things; or I was not successful at my goal, but I had a great time trying to reach for it."

Because this is how I see it: If all your salespeople start declaring themselves as "successful" in their goal - even when they are not, don't you see how that mindset can infiltrate your group? Is that fair to the ones who spent many sleepless nights obtaining customers (and walking the miles) to those who didn't?

Let's call a spade a spade because in your meeting, I think you would! Now if your goal was to simply get as many new customers as you felt like getting (or walking as many miles as you felt like walking), that is another debate altogether. But don't confuse the two.

LOL At any rate, let's not drag this out. If you feel like debating some more or feel you are right - let's continue this via PM least this go on forever between us.

[Velvet Gooch]

Well it's a dog eat dog
Eat cat too
Frenchy eat frog
And I eat you

(Angus Young – Malcolm Young – Bon Scott)

[chief]

Some people, after a failed thru-hike attempt, spin up a story explaining how they were "actually successful" in a deeper sense. Then they post it on WB for other spinners. It's like a feel good club!

[Thirsty DPD]

Some people, after a failed thru-hike attempt, spin up a story explaining how they were "actually successful" in a deeper sense. Then they post it on WB for other spinners. It's like a feel good club!

That speaks volumes of WB in general, there's a whole lot of self justification goin' on. A Good ol Boy Club that often supports one anothers misinformation, while creating 'facts'. They justify one another's right to tell people they have never met, that they are inhumane, cruel, inconsiderate & a nuisance to have their companion dog on the trail. Some of the attacks on WB are far more vicious then any dog attack on the AT. Usually the same Good ol Boys that want to look under a man's kilt, or argue that no one should call themself a 'thru hiker' until they complete a thru hike, no joke. Look at their number of posts, lots of opinion, little substance, it's a wonder they ever get time to exercise such expertise. They wear out two keyboards for every pair of boots. Talks cheap, cows cost money. Rant complete.

[Coffee Rules!]

Well forgive me there Thirsty, for having recently gotten interested in hiking and having the nerve to have an opinion in a philosophical discussion that doesn't require experience. I personally don't have the opportunity to get out and wear out leather. I keep forgetting my place and that only people with over a million miles for every post are entitled to opinions.

[WIAPilot]

That speaks volumes of WB in general, there's a whole lot of self justification goin' on. A Good ol Boy Club that often supports one anothers misinformation, while creating 'facts'. They justify one another's right to tell people they have never met, that they are inhumane, cruel, inconsiderate & a nuisance to have their companion dog on the trail. Some of the attacks on WB are far more vicious then any dog attack on the AT. Usually the same Good ol Boys that want to look under a man's kilt, or argue that no one should call themself a 'thru hiker' until they complete a thru hike, no joke. Look at their number of posts, lots of opinion, little substance, it's a wonder they ever get time to exercise such expertise. They wear out two keyboards for every pair of boots. Talks cheap, cows cost money. Rant complete.

Well forgive me there Thirsty, for having recently gotten interested in hiking and having the nerve to have an opinion in a philosophical discussion that doesn't require experience. I personally don't have the opportunity to get out and wear out leather. I keep forgetting my place and that only people with over a million miles for every post are entitled to opinions.

Coffee- I don't think either one of us are in the Good Ol' Boys Club on this site. And opinions/debate make the world more interesting! How many readers "lurk" on this site because they are too afraid of getting slammed? It kind of comes with the territory. Very few people will always agree about everything. Although you will definitely not find me looking under any kilts...

[Coffee Rules!]

Well I'm a firm believer in full disclosure.

**Lifts kilt**

[WIAPilot]

Well I'm a firm believer in full disclosure.

**Lifts kilt**

LOL So much for that GI Joe image!

[Coffee Rules!]

I'm secure in my masculinity.