I just spent a week skiing, and I can finally call myself a decent skier. It’s a sport of technique and courage, with adrenaline keeping me in the moment in what felt like a very healthy way.
Self-talk? Constant."Pannacotta," I kept reminding myself—something my ski instructor in Italy had taught me the year before. He was right. The biggest breakthroughs didn’t come from forcing control but from relaxing into the movement. Loosening up, letting go. The more I resisted, the harder it was.
I often had to talk out loud to convince myself to relax.
I was out of my comfort zone—a lot. But I threw my heart at the slopes, and my body followed. Sometimes stiff, sometimes fluid. It reminded me of how often in life we find ourselves at the top of a questionable, steep slope—knowing there's a 50-50 chance we might fall, but we go for it anyway.
Many of the best things in life happen that way. Like falling in love, stepping into a new career, or taking a leap into the unknown.
It’s an incredible feeling when you reach the point where you can stand at the top of most slopes, knowing that the odds are now more in your favor. Maybe never to the point of full mastery—but where’s the thrill in that?
I’ve never been a perfectionist, nor am I Type A. I’m curious. I like a healthy level of uncertainty and change. I’m creative, I love learning, and I’m okay with being wrong and evolving my perspective. Still, people call me stubborn. Maybe they’re not wrong—I do love a healthy challenge.
But I’d hate to think that the only challenges I take on in life are the ones I can fully prepare for.
A Parallel Between Skiing and Business
I often say that the skills we learn in sports are lessons for life—but in this case, it happened in reverse. Skiing reminded me of the exact mindset I need as I step into AI consulting and mindset coaching.
Right now, I’m at the top of the slope with this one.
I have the skills, the experience, and the knowledge to succeed, but until I fully commit—until I throw my heart at it—I won’t know exactly how it will unfold. And that’s okay.
Because, just like skiing, trusting the process is what gets you to the bottom of the slope— ready for the next challenge.
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