One year ago, I embarked on a ski trip with a group of friends to Whitetail, a ski resort outside of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. During the hour-long car ride, we discussed our expectations for the trip. Most of us already knew how to ski, but Mark, one of our friends, was planning to snowboard for the first time. He was determined to learn how to do it by the end of the trip.
Once we arrived at the ski resort, we clicked into our snowboards and skis, and our anticipation built for the exhilarating upcoming hours on the slopes. We sat in the ski lift, nervous for the first ride down. Although it was his first time snowboarding, Mark didn’t seem to be afraid at all. Rather than playing it safe and starting on the bunny hills, he decided to go down a “blue” path with us — one of the more advanced trails. We stayed with him, encouraging him to make it to the base. Once we got down, he stood triumphantly, smiled, and exclaimed, “Let’s do that again.”
We continued that cycle, and Mark never once complained. We happily complimented and encouraged him. By the end of just one day, Mark had already impressively mastered all of the beginner snowboarding skills. His commitment to learning despite struggling down the slope was a mindset that allowed him to break down his mental blocks, and Mark’s choice to go down an advanced slope first forced him to pick up new skills quickly.
That same day, my friends asked if we could go down a “black diamond.” I consider myself a mediocre skier, so I was naturally apprehensive. However, I decided to go for it, inspired by Mark’s and my friends’ support.
When we reached the summit, I could see the slope lights leading down to the base. By then, it was night, and everything was shrouded in darkness. In a way, the lights acted as a clear path to my goal. We peered over the edge, exhilarated by the prospect of going down the first black diamond of the night. Yet, I held some reservations about my own capacity to get down safely. One of my friends noticed my restraint and decided to stay with me throughout my descent.
The support of more skilled people when taking risks helps people overcome even serious mental barriers to success. Having someone further along by my side flattens the learning curve. I reached the bottom safe and sound despite falling a fair number of times on my descent.
Research confirms that friends have a measurable impact on motivation. A study in the journal Child Development in 2021 found that, for teens, having close friends is a better predictor of success later in life than having close parents. NIH found in 2023 that even in academics, the support of friends can push you to achieve more than you expected you were capable of.
Taking risks is essential to learning almost anything, whether swimming, cooking, skiing or even writing. Even if a person fails, they gain invaluable knowledge and have an opportunity to learn more about success. With the right people by your side, there is little doubt that you will succeed in your goals.
This winter, I want to learn how to snowboard — I’ll most definitely adopt Mark’s mindset on the slopes and trust my friends’ faith in me.
