One of the great benefits of living in Fontainebleau in France is being able to go out for a bouldering session in the local forrest. The picture shows me giving my best at one of the many bouldering problems. Fontainebleau is well known in the bouldering community for its natural rock formations, very well suited for this sport. Indeed, a frequently used bouldering difficulty scale is called the "Fontainebleau scale".
A large part of the INSEAD MBA program takes part in Fontainebleau. In between lectures we often seized the opportunity to put on our training shoes and do some climbing. After several hours of lectures in Corporate Finance and Accounting, doing some physical activity is a lot of fun and provides balance in your life.
It is amazing how fast your body adapts to the new challenge of climbing and how you get better (almost) every time you hit the rocks, as long as you persist and do it regularly. In this regard, climbing is similar to challenges in the business world. You need to show up to win. You cannot improve just by thinking about things without actually doing them. Get out there, get your hands dirty and give your best - every single time!
