Did you know that being out­doorsy can actu­al­ly make you more suc­cess­ful in your career and rela­tion­ships? True sto­ry. And here’s why.

Crush­ing it With Con­fi­dence
Over­com­ing chal­lenges out­doors builds con­fi­dence. The first time you lead-climb a route, go on a solo camp­ing trip, or hike a 14’er you’ll feel an amaz­ing sense of accom­plish­ment and your con­fi­dence will  soar. What’s more, you can think back to these achieve­ments when you’re deal­ing with var­i­ous chal­leng­ing life sit­u­a­tions. When you’re cram­ming for finals, mud­dling through a tough breakup, or try­ing to calm your nerves before a big inter­view, you can chan­nel many of your out­door expe­ri­ences and recall the feel­ings of calm, com­pe­ten­cy, and con­fi­dence that you felt. Once you’ve sum­mit­ed a moun­tain, it’s easy to cram for a test. Every­thing just gets put into perspective.

When the Chips are Down
Often the most excit­ing out­doors expe­ri­ences are those that involve some ele­ment of risk and dan­ger. Fac­ing big falls, rag­ing storms, and sud­den avalanch­es teach you how to take cal­cu­lat­ed risks and how to keep your cool when the chips are down. These skills are trans­fer­able to the work­place and rela­tion­ships. When the shit hits the fan, your out­door skills can ensure that you keep calm and car­ry on.

You Got Skil­lz
Hav­ing trou­ble find­ing the free time to get out­side? Tell your moth­er, your hus­band, your teach­ers that get­ting out­side isn’t just about hav­ing fun. Being an out­door­swoman or man equips you with a vari­ety of skills that are acquired dur­ing hours of gear prepa­ra­tion, map and trail nav­i­ga­tion, trip plan­ning, and group work with your fab­u­lous out­door friends, including:

• Crit­i­cal Thinking
• Prob­lem Solving
• Mul­ti­task­ing
• Time Man­age­ment
• Team Work

A Whole New World
Though you may not have a mag­ic car­pet, your out­door skills can trans­port you to a whole new world of oppor­tu­ni­ties. The Sier­ra Club, the Depart­ment of Nat­ur­al Resources, and sweet writ­ing gigs (wink, wink) are just a few of the orga­ni­za­tions and job options that may open up for you if you’re well-versed in out­door pol­i­cy, sur­vival skills, or out­door sports.