Posts in Mindset
The “process”

To reach any climbing goal there is a process. The process is where we spend 99% of our time and effort. Without it we get nowhere. And yet as human beings we get easily sidetracked by the outcome or shall we say ‘the top’. And when we do this, we run into trouble. Pressure looms, negative thought spirals start “will I do it?”, “when will I do it”, “why can’t I do it”? What is the process in climbing?

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The values - performance link

“I prioritise happiness, because if I’m not happy I can’t win”. Shauna Coxsey said this and it resonates personally. Understanding and having full clarity about your values in life can be really powerful. Fully incorporating them into your every climbing experience will also have a dramatic effect on your climbing. Happiness is one of Shauna’s. What are yours?

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Stress: do you process it?

We are living through challenging times. So often we think that we need to remove stressors to relieve stress. But at the moment that is almost impossible and it’s not necessarily the solution either. What we can do is ensure we fully process the stress in the body caused by the stressors around us. Check out this podcast from Brené Brown.

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Boundaries: set them or get bitten!

It was a lightbulb moment when someone explained that when another person does something that annoys you or you find yourself in a situation you don’t like, it’s so often because you agreed to something you never wanted in the first place. Aha! Lack of clarity around boundaries in climbing can lead to uncomfortable experiences, even epics. Why do we find this so hard?

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Dealing with uncertainty

Autum 2019 I was lucky enough to hold Buster Martin’s ropes on his 9a+ project. I got a front row seat to what can happen with an incredible attitude and dedication. A lot of what I was saw was testament to him dealing with a series of tricky events causing, what for most would be, a lot of uncertainty (not that I think he saw it that way).

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The confidence - values link

Over lockdown I listened to an amazing podcast with Professor Steve Peters, the mastermind behind British Cycling’s success. His Chimp Management Mind model shows us the perils of basing our self esteem on what we do and achieve. Instead we can increase our confidence by understanding our values and developing habits and behaviours that support these values.

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Learning to Listen

Is the mind stronger than the body, when the body gets injured regularly and the mind continues to want to push on??  I’ve come to believe the opposite: that it is a strong mind that reads the signs early and responds calmly and appropriately.  Because hearing the whispers takes diligence, patience and work.

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Trust

If we hold on so hard and only focus on the controllable, there is no space for freedom, lightness and creativity. If we cannot learn to trust and be ok with uncertainty, we’ll find it hard to let go of a certain outcome. And when things are really out of control – we have no capacity to deal with it.

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Climbing kindly

Because when I step onto a climb, every decision I’ve made up to that point means there is no other place I’d rather be (even in the drizzle, on 1 star routes, but then again too in the sun high up on a wonderful mountain route in Wales with my oldest friends). (written Dec 2018)

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