RRC Archives

Danny's comments: "I am trying to start applying the ideas in the book to my climbing but it's a bit strange for me because I can really get motivated when my ego is at stake but it's harder to just climb for the learning and growth experience. Have you guys thought about the ego versus growth motivation much that's talked about in the book? I think my ego tends to take more of a backseat when I'm actually on a route because I have to focus so hard on what I'm doing. I think the bigger problem is before and after. I think there are many reasons that if my ego isn't pushing me I would not try as hard. For example, it used to be really important for me to onsight a route because I wanted to be able to claim that I onsight 99% of the routes I get on. I would never give up on an onsight attempt and do everything in my power to do it. Now that I've become more aware of my motivation for doing that it seems silly and I don't care as much. This has led me to not push as hard on a few routes and give up. For those of you that know more about the Warriors Way how do you get motivated enough to give it all without any ego involved?"
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The ego does motivate you to engage risks, like challenging climbs. It will take you on your path of learning because at least it gets you engaged. But beyond that it loses its effectiveness. It engages you in a fear-based way: You are afraid of not getting the onsight/redpoint. Yes, you fight to get the onsight, which is better than not exerting effort. But, this is not an approach that is aligned with learning. In order to improve your climbing you need to learn new skills like how to commit, how to be deliberate, how to focus attention onto the climbing effort, etc. Would you agree with me or do you think you don't have to learn anything to climb better?

A fear-based approach, led by the ego, just wants the onsight. It isn't interested in learning. Attention is distracted to the top--to what you want from the effort. When attention is distracted you are less effective.

Love-based motivation is more helpful and is aligned with learning. If you love climbing for its own sake then it's easy to focus attention onto the climbing because there is no other place you'd rather be, not even at the top of the route. This doesn't mean you don't want to do onsights/redpoints. It means you realize that it's an indirect process--you achieve the onsight/redpoint if you focus attention in the moment on what needs to be done so that an onsight/redpoint will result. When you are less attached to the outcome you are more free to focus in the moment.

Mental training boils down to attention and what you do with it. The more attention you have in the moment, solving the climbing challenge, the more effective you'll be. Ask yourself, "How much of my attention is in the moment?" Are you thinking of "losing" the onsight when you are in the middle of it?

Reading the book is a beginning to improving. But, you must convert that intellectual knowledge into experiential knowledge by DOING it. I have exericses in the back of the book. Have you done them? That is one way to apply what I've written.
Does this help answer your questions?
arno

pigsteak's comments: "yeah, I read it twice, and it came off more like psycho babble fluff than real help. I liked "Performance Rock Climbing" better. his thoughts are really more for living your life than they are particular to climbing."
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My goal in writing or teaching about climbing is to integrate information into something that gives climbers a complete model for applying themselves. I feel I've done that. The more in the moment you can be--meaning your attention is in the moment--the more effective you'll be. Do you agree? If you do, then the ww is exactly that. If you don't, l'd like to know your approach for effectively applying your mental resources.

I checked out Performance Rock Climbing (PRC) and it basically says the same things I write about. IE. reducing the role of expectation, developing an impowering self-image, being motivated TOWARD exerting effort, redefining success/failure, understanding that frustration is distracting. Need I continue? The only difference between what PRC says and WW is that I've put all these issues into a sequential, supportive format for applying your attention impeccably. It begins with how to use attention to prepare, how to transition from preparation to action very deliberately, and finally how to climb--take action--the most effective way.

You can have attention distracted in any risk or uncomfortable situation be it climbing, public speaking, or confronting your boss. The ww can be applied to any such situation. If you practice thinking along the ww then you don't have to think about how to respond effective in whatever situation you find yourself in. You don't want to have to think about how you should be thinking when you are climbing and then figure out how you need to think when you are confronting your boss. It's all stress and can be approached in the same empowering way. That's what the ww allows you to do.

Perhaps this helps or perhaps even this sounds like psycho babble... Let me know.
arno

more pscyho babble arno...lol...just kidding.

actually, I am sure this is more my problem than it is yours. I really have only one two goals with my climbing...to climb harder and to hang out in good company. "learning" is not at the top of my priority list, for better or worse..

When I climb harder and harder routes, i find satisfaction. I do not find satisfaction in what I perceive as stagnating at a grade, even if learning is involved.

For whatever reason PRC worked for me. The specific training schedules, explanantions of recruitment, etc seemed to stick in my mind. As an accountant, maybe the more "abstract" thinking is difficult for me to comprehend.

Either way, thanks for the work you put into the book. Seems as though many people have been helped.

Hey Pigsteak,
it's kind of a circular thing. You said you want to climb harder, but you also said "learning" isn't at the top of your list. Arno asked 'Do you feel that you don't have to learn anything new to climb harder?', yet you did "learn" from PRC. I think you were dead on when you said you responded better to PRC because it was more concrete and quite technical (excellent book btw). As an engineer, I know exactly where you are coming from. On the other hand, I think Arno's book is more about engaging the thought processes involved in climbing and using those to help you "climb harder". Having not read it (WW), I can't say it doesn't have the charts and tables we number crunchers so crave, but I am assuming it's more about dealing more with our dark side lower companion and helping him find his place on the rock than it is about how to go from climbing 5.x to 5.y.

Mj

Hey pig and sik; I appreciate your comments. What I got from Arno is he is talking about "heart". Performance is important to you but I sense that at some point if you have perceived a personal climbing stagnation or dissatisfaction with your performance I would suggest to you to give the ww a try. You could find a reservoir of personal satisfaction that coincidentally enhances performance just by accepting the present moment regardless of what is happening.