What’s a Cairn?

The script

What keeps you going? For me, it’s this. Cairns are an important part of hiking. When the trail disappears, you look for a cairn. A pile of stones that says you’re on the right path. Keep going. On a trail, cairns are spaced by distance. You have to walk to the next one. So it’s easy to think of them like rewards. Hit the milestone, earn the prize. But that’s the carrot again. In life, cairns work best the other way, spaced by time instead of distance. You reach the next one no matter what. It’s a regular, enjoyable reminder to check that you’re on the right trail.

As crazy as it sounds, mine is Fazoli’s. Good week or bad week, every Thursday I’m there. It’s not a milestone, it’s an appointment. Something good you choose, on the calendar, every week. That’s the whole point. Remember, enjoying the journey is what keeps people climbing.

Cairns make sure the journey has something good in it, so you’ll always reach the next cairn. The only question is how far up the trail you’ll be when you do.