From Mountains to Mindset: Small Shifts Create Big Wins

Last weekend I celebrated another birthday.  This time a little different to the norm of cake, candles and carefree chaos.  My partner took the lead and organised a very cool retreat in Central Hawkes Bay along with an 'easy' walk up to Sunrise Hut in the Ruahine Ranges. If you've had the opportunity to do this walk you will know that the word 'easy' Is underestimated at best.  Challenging is a more adept description.  

It was tough.  Every muscle was screaming and the gradient kept on climbing further upwards. The relief when we reached that hut was incredible! 

Now, you might think getting to the top and celebrating would be enough — and it is — but it’s only half the battle.

Navigating the steep track back down brought a whole new set of obstacles.

Throughout the journey, I learned a lot about myself and what I needed to do to get through:

1. Adjust My Focus - If I focused on every aching muscle and how far we still had to go, the trip would have felt endless.
Instead, I adjusted the way I used my trekking pole, made small changes to my stride length, and paid attention to how I placed my feet. It made a huge difference.
2. Stick to the Plan - Maintaining focus on these small adjustments helped make the journey manageable.
Every time I lost focus, I would trip or slip — and the difficulty (and discomfort) spiked immediately.
3. Choose Your Attitude - Ultimately, the attitude you choose shapes the experience.
I chose to celebrate every small step as a win, to focus on how far we had come, and to remind myself how much closer we were to the finish.
Every small adjustment, every mindset shift, made the climb — and the descent — not just possible, but rewarding.

Just like climbing that steep track, when you’re facing a challenge with yours or your own child’s learning, it can feel overwhelming.
You just want to find a solution — right?

You don't want to keep second-guessing yourself. You want clarity. You want tools that actually help.
And most importantly, you want to know you're on the right path.