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My Personal Mt. Fuji

 This week I have been waking up at 6am to test out the advice that getting up early is the first step to success. (see this blog post https://unearthingalicia.blogspot.com/2020/10/in-his-book-launching-leaders-steven.html) So, did it work? Am I motivated and active and living my best life? In a word, no. 

But seriously, what was I expecting? Does success come from one week's bare-minimum effort? This morning as I wrote in my journal (which I have not been consistent at in years) I laid out all my tiredness and setbacks, my continued lack of organization and accomplishment. I considered turning off my alarm at the end of the week and going back to normal. Then, as I went on my morning walk (which I have never gotten up early enough to do before my kids wake up) I listened to a recent talk from one of my church leaders who described climbing to the top of Mt. Fuji with his wife. He described all the times it was hard and the top was a goal too seemingly insurmountable to focus on. In these moments they looked just at the next step and knew that it was something they could do.

As part of my studies this week I had to think about the person I would like to be at the end of my life, how I want to be remembered, and what core values that person possessed. I envisioned an energetic and active person who was honest and trustworthy, someone others counted on, and who had dedicated her life to serving others. Then the question comes; what time does she get up? Does she laze in bed as late as possible before reluctantly taking on the bare minimum or her responsibilities for the day? Because that's who I am, but it's not who I want to be. 

As I face my personal Mt. Fuji I can be overwhelmed, lost in the shadow of the person I hope to be one day, or I can take the next step by getting up early and continuing the couple of good habits I have already added to my mornings. On the way up the mountain, I can add to and refine my habits so that I get closer and closer to that admirable woman I hope to be one day. And I guess that journey starts at 6am.


Talk cited: Becoming like Him, By Elder Scott D. Whiting Of the seventy 
https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/13whiting?lang=eng

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