Climbing Mount Everest is one of the most harrowing items on my bucket list.  Imagining the feeling of standing at the summit, literally on top of the world, fills me with inspiration and excitement.

To accomplish this goal, I am going to have to put in a great deal of work. The first step is to get all of the supplies.  The list is long, including necessities such as oxygen tanks, snow shoes, climbing tack and even simple things such as a very warm coat.

After gathering the equipment, I must do a couple of additional things. The goal is to reach the summit, but I’ll have to decide what path I will take to get up there.  Multiple ridges exist leading to the top, each with different advantages over the others. Planning the route is crucial to summiting the mountain.  After I have my supplies and my plan in place, all that’s left is to climb to the peak.

Much like climbing Everest, we need to put in some work to get the most out of life.  First comes setting a goal: what do you want to do?  This might be something you want to accomplish in school, sports or anything in your life.

Next, we have to gather our resources. For myself, many of my supplies for life came from the numerous opportunities in FFA.  You also are offered many things through our organization as a member, whether it be the opportunity to improve your leadership skills at an event such as Greenhand Motivational Conference or the chance to gain employment skills in a Career Development Event.

The last crucial step is making the plan. What steps can you take to help you reach your goal?  How will you summit your own mountain?  If you can answer all of these questions, all that is left is to climb to the peak.