“Think of how you’ll remember this.”

My brother told me this when we were climbing our first major mountain, the Grand Teton. We had been on the mountain for two days, and our summit day had terrible weather so we had to decide if we would stay for an extra day to try again or head down the mountain. It had been incredibly difficult; we were all tired and aggravated. We were debating whether or not to leave, and my brother said this little advice off hand and I’ll never forget it. Immediate gratification should always be weighed against the future quality of avoiding that immediate gratification, and which decision will contribute more to future you. We stayed on the mountain and summited the next day, and it is one of my most treasured memories and has continued to define my hobbies and passions to this day.