Focus on the Wins — Climbing Out of Isolation and Into Connection

This past month during our October Climb Time challenge, I was reminded of how easy it is to focus on what’s going wrong instead of what’s going right.

My goal was to climb 1,000 feet a day — a little more than last year. I started strong. I got to hike with friends, and Maritza and I even climbed a dirt berm near our neighborhood about 47,000 times trying to rack up vert.

But then life happened. Stress showed up. A conversation triggered fear and sent me spiraling into future-thinking and overwhelm. I started isolating, canceling plans, missing workouts — even though movement is my biggest antidepressant. Each missed day felt like failure stacking up.

Pretty soon, I was in the pit. Deep in it.

And yet, even there, I wasn’t alone. A friend who’d made me promise to message her when I got to that space got the bear emoji — our secret SOS signal. She showed up at my door with a gift and love in her heart.

But did I focus on that blessing? Not at first. I was still fixated on what was going wrong.

Over time, little wins began stacking up — a good run, a kind message, someone noticing I’d gone quiet and checking in. Slowly, I started to find my footing again. I began reaching out, saying yes to plans, and eventually, I showed up to Trail Fridays.

At Trail Fridays, we start with something called a W.I.F.L.E., which stands for What I Feel Like Expressing. It can be anything — something funny, something small, or something deep. Sometimes people share that their dog puked on their bed that morning; other times, someone opens up about something real and vulnerable. The point is connection — just sharing life as it is.

That morning, during W.I.F.L.E., I shared that I’d been in the pit. And what happened next reminded me why this community means so much to me. Every single person in that circle met my honesty with love, kindness, and understanding. A few came over and gave me hugs. One said, “Next time, message me. I’ll meet you for coffee.”

In that moment, I realized something powerful:

I may not have reached my 30,000-foot goal, but I experienced something even greater — the climb out of isolation and into connection.

And the truth is, I’m still climbing. I haven’t figured it all out. I’m not “recovered” — I’m in recovery. It’s an ongoing journey, one where I keep learning, growing, and practicing how to shorten those dark stretches when they come. Each time, I climb out of the pit a little faster, a little stronger, and a little more connected.

That’s the real win.

So even if your goals shift, even if you fall short, even if the month doesn’t go according to plan — don’t let that define failure.

Look for the wins. They’re always there.

With gratitude,

Kylee Wiscombe