We recently watched two completely different climbing documentaries: The Dawn Wall and Free Solo. The former is a story of perseverance and determination. It’s the story of how two guys had a dream, one everyone called them crazy to pursue, a reality.
The latter tells the same lesson, but is shadowed by the fact that the dream is not just crazy, it’s downright unsafe.
Of course, the end result is the same for both films- the protagonists achieve their goals, complete with triumphant guitar riffs. But for me anyway, Free Solo is a lot less relatable, and a lot less justified. As we watched, my wife and I were constantly yelling at the TV and the idiocy and recklessness of Alex Honnold.
There’s a difference between crazy and unsafe. You have to be a little crazy to pursue some goals in work and life. But to do so at the expense of your health, well-being, or that of others is where I draw the line. Goal setting is really about recognizing this boundary. And it’s probably a little different for everyone.
There’s nothing wrong with setting a big, crazy goal to pursue. Just learn to recognize when you’ve crossed over from ambition into recklessness.