Origins
From the switchback trail, a path that moves away from its destination in order to gain elevation safely. The term is abstracted here to describe an internal reorientation rather than a physical route.
Meaning
Switchback names the moment we begin to understand discomfort not as failure, but as part of the path itself. We notice that growth often requires moving through effort, uncertainty, or emotional strain that can feel like going the wrong way. In Switchback, discomfort is no longer read as a signal to retreat, but as evidence that something new is forming beneath the strain. When we stop avoiding discomfort, we discover it carries us somewhere avoidance never did, opening space for relief and a quiet joy that comes from finally moving forward rather than circling comfort.
Usage
That was the Switchback for us – realizing the hard part wasn’t a mistake, it was the way forward.