Can you trust yourself when you’re engaged in difficult climbing? Or, do you doubt yourself and try to escape it? Doubt and escaping aren’t conducive to enjoying your climbing or performing well. They’re painful. So let’s explore how you can develop this trust, diminish the pain of doubt, and enjoy your climbing.
Photo by Ben Kitching on UnsplashA foundation you can count onTrust needs to be grounded on a foundation you can count on. For example, you can trust that you can stand up because you know the ground is solid beneath your feet. What’s that foundation look like in climbing?
It has to do with your skill level. Specifically, your skill level for dealing with the difficulties you’ll encounter. We’re discussing this from a mental training perspective. So, you need to look at your skill level for dealing with stress.
It’s not just about having skills for dealing with stress though. That’s a helpful starting point. But we’re more interested here in the mindset for dealing with stress. You need a mindset that trusts the process. Your confidence will wax and wane based on how grounded you are in this mindset.
Trusting how stressful situations unfoldDifficult climbing occurs moment by moment. It’s a process that unfolds, with new stressors revealing themselves in those moments. The mindset trusts how these stressors reveal themselves. You trust how they unfold.
A trusting mindset is one that is adaptable, flexible, and agile. It balances being patient with being persistent. You’re patient by allowing the situation to reveal what you need to learn. You’re persistent by keeping your focus on moving forward as you progress toward your goal.
How do situations reveal themselves? Through unexpected stressors. You need to recognize when the unexpected happens. We all expect difficult climbing to be stressful. We all know that. It’s recognizing this in the moment when it happens that’s important. You recognize the conflict–the stress–between what you expected and reality. You expected the hold to be bigger, but the reality is it’s smaller. You know this the moment it happens.
Your mind creates expectations as you climb to perform your best. That’s natural and needed. But, as we know, things will unfold differently. It’s your ability to be aware of this occurring that’s important. It’s like recognizing the thought that pops up in your mind that says: “Oh, I expected the hold to be bigger, but it’s not.” That’s the awareness you need to be in the moment.
Tools for trusting yourself: intention and curiosityThe best tools for trusting yourself are intentionality and curiosity. You’re intentional by directing your attention to being curious about unexpected events.
What happens when something unexpected happens? You either react or respond. You react by pulling back from the situation. You shift your focus from what reality is to what you expected. You try to change it to what you expected. That won’t work for grabbing that unexpected small hold.
You respond by moving toward the situation. You shift your focus from what you expected to what you’ve discovered. Reacting is reflexive. You’re annoyed by the small hold. Responding is intentional. You’re curious about the small hold. Big difference!
Surviving to thrivingDoubting yourself is painful when you’re engaged in difficult climbing. You still can struggle and survive, but it’s painful. You just want to get it over with. Trusting yourself helps you flow with what’s unfolding as you climb. Applying the tools of intention and curiosity help you thrive. Curiosity helps you trust yourself so you can diminish the pain and find joy again.
Learn how to thrive and trust yourself in our new Falling & Commitment Online Course. Check it out to find: