This website certainly should fall more in the “personal finance” category than any sort of typical rock climbing website. But I will remind you that I’ve carried a full-tilt obsession with climbing for over nine years. So good.
My number one goal for nearly a decade has been to be a better climber than yesterday. And in doing so, I’ve kinda/sorta/accidentally wrapped my self-worth into a sticky web of climbing performance, often to my own detriment. But in the last year I’ve found a balance, taken a step back, and incidentally improved my performance. Just dumb luck? I don’t think so.
Happiness and Learning
The time when we first discover a new hobby is magical. Everything is new, and there’s nothing to do but fail. If I picked up a tuba right now and stuffed my lips in that bad boy, I could clear a room. I’d laugh an evil laugh and do it again. Maybe thrice. Terrible elephant noises, just for me!
But seriously, those early days are filled with the joys of unbounded learning. Our simple brains are captivated by stimulation of new technical and physical problems to solve. And of course, learning is linked to happiness. Just watch my dog after she does a few rounds of “Find It.” Finding it = happy.
Eventually the steep learning curve levels, and simply showing up fails to elicit the same expansion of skills.
Years ago I’d give my dog an empty jar of peanut butter to keep her the hell away from me for 30 minutes of bliss. Now she pops that lid off with the skill and precision of…well…you or I. If I want that wild child out of my hair for 30 minutes these days, I’ve got to up the ante.
Obsession for Mastery
I’ve written about the pursuit of mastery in sport and life. To perform better beyond those early days of recreational bliss often requires a new and heightened level of dedication. We’ve adapted to that old level of stimulus. We require new physical and mental discomfort to provide new adaptations. If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.
This is where our personalities start to shine. For some, enjoying the journey on slow and modest progress is completely fine. In the world of climbing, there’s plenty to appreciate about just being in nature, the sun shining, enjoying the company of friends.
I have many friends and partners who could certainly be much better climbers on paper, but have taken an arguably more balanced approach to their progression. It’s slow, but they don’t particularly care.
I’m different, with natural tendencies towards obsession. I thrive on planning, goals, metrics, and quantifiable signs of progress. I invest abundant mental capital into defining goal routes and associated training protocols to ready myself. But in doing so, I’ve often overvalued the importance of these goals, affixing self-worth to whether or not I can climb a 60 foot section of granite without falling.
A Closer Look at Obsession
Allow me to add a bit more color about the ambitions to climb a seemingly arbitrary 60 foot piece of rock.
Let’s say I invest two to three months of grueling training, pushing my body to new levels of strength and fitness. The act of training now elevates the importance of the goal, placing it on a mental pedestal.
I climb outside on Fridays and Sundays, a schedule that works with my day job and non-climbing wife, Mrs. CC. The route is in the sun starting at 1:00pm, and I need it in the shade (for friction). Temperatures must be between 35-65 degrees, also for friction. I prefer a light breeze, as my skin is naturally sweaty and soft, incompatible with squeezing the dog shit out of small sharp edges.
My partner list is long, but everyone is tied up with life’s other obligations. I find a guy, but the highs for the day are 40 degrees. It’s a little too cold for him in the shade, would I mind climbing somewhere else?
Yes, I would mind.
Please?
It won’t be so bad, I say.
(I’m very persistent and convincing.)
He’s here now, but not enjoying himself, reminding me frequently of how he can’t feel his hands or toes. I can’t either, but that’s ok because these are my plans. The conditions are good, I just need to warm up. But then they aren’t. The temperature unexpectedly soars, the wind stops, and the sun comes over the ridge. This is not happening today. F.
All week at work I’m distracted, mentally rehashing my performance or lack thereof. Did I try hard enough? Did I not warm up properly? I’m hyper-vigilant about my diet, careful not to gain an ounce. Climbing is a strength-to-weight ratio sport, and I’d rather not pick a bigger fight with gravity by inflating a midsection spare tire. Plus, I have a history.
I’m existing in a state of self-imposed anxiety over something so arbitrary, brought on by my own obsession. It really sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?
Yes and no.
Obsession and Achievement
I’d make the argument that caring deeply is important in progress. But as I’ve said before, we should care, but not care too much.
Over time, the more we focus on a sport, our career, or some sort of other hobby, we begin to rig a tightrope of self-importance. Our mental health becomes tied to success and failure in our pursuits.
When I’ve had projects that weren’t going well, or when I’ve been stuck on a plateau, I’ve found myself irritable and distant.
Likewise, when I’ve succeeded at my goals, I’ve ridden magic carpets of euphoria, wanting to bear hug everyone in sight and detonate glitter bombs.
For a day, at least.
If I look back a year or more ago, I can say that I was checking many of the boxes of these seven signs of achievement obsession.
So what changed for me?
I created this website.
Redirecting Focus
Just over a year ago, I registered the domain for this website at Bluehost, a simple hosting platform (that’s an affiliate link, but seriously, try and find an easier platform to get started). I was back again on the ground floor of learning, entering a new realm of discomfort and error. I knew zero about website design. Today I know slightly more than zero.
Most importantly, I was about to begin spraying everyone down about one of the most taboo subjects there is…
Money.
Immediately I was drawn back into the world of writing and research, two past loves that laid dormant for most of the last decade. Snow White hobbies, if you will.
A year later, I’m still drawing immense satisfaction out of this project. Thanks to my millions of readers, of course. (Big joke).
What About Climbing?
Climbing hasn’t slowed down during this time. I still have goals, I’m still training. But I’m redirecting hours per week of focus on something else.
Instead of endlessly plotting and overanalyzing hangboard resistance charts, I’m reaching out to community members and writing for The Interview Series.
Instead of reliving past glory on stone, I’m tearing through our own finances and researching to help you understand whether or not you should buy a home. Did you buy one?
The Result
(Let’s go back to past tense. We’re having fun)
I expected to get worse. Just like many fitness junkies who think they’ll get fat if they miss a single workout, I surely thought my climbing performance would suffer as a result of my “new project.”
A year later I’m happy to report that my climbing has significantly improved, and I think caring a little less has a hell of a lot to do with it.
Of course, I’d be remiss to disregard what I learned and implemented from my experience with a coach, Nate Drolet of Power Company Climbing. I wrote a review of that experience here, and I have zero doubt that my learnings are part of the progress picture I’m painting. Hell, maybe they’re a big part. But I’ve got an article to finish, damnit!
I’ve since broken past the barriers I discussed in the linked review above. And when things go poorly — bad weather, reluctant partners, or just poor performance — I no longer allow those burdens to bleed over into my “real” life, or at least not as much.
Control the nozzle on that spray, my man!!
This all makes me very uncomfortable. I don’t like talking about my own successes (or failures). But I think the lessons are universal and important, and far from unique to climbing or even sport.
- Are you really into that girl, but maybe a little too into her? I’m not talking derangement or anything deserving an episode on Dateline NBC, but quit being clingy and stifling her with your attention. That’s a turn-off.
- Are you trying too hard to advance in your career, thereby making you the butt of the joke for all your co-workers, and actually limiting your potential? Yeah, you know the type. There’s one in every organization.
- Likewise, do you spend your days at work toeing the line, counting the minutes at your desk and saying yes to everything? Of course they love you, because you can be used.
Any time we become overly attached to an outcome, we are paradoxically lowering our chances of achieving the outcome we desire.
Climbers, how many times have you achieved a goal after dropping all expectations? The same story has been told for years. Some version of “last try of the day,” or “didn’t care anymore,” or “just one more fitness burn.” When we let go of obsession, we actually perform closer to our potential.
In those special moments, we aren’t mainlining cortisol into our bloodstream, creating a mind-body response that limits performance. We just do what we were capable of doing all along.
Summary
Some of us just have obsessive personalities. I’m one of those people. You probably know if you are too. But then again, climbing is a breeding ground of obsession, bringing a little bit of craziness out of otherwise well-meaning people.
My suggestion is to get involved with something else that interests you, but doesn’t overly sway your attention. After all, you don’t just want to switch your obsession to something else, right? Try to build a balanced approach to life, rich with other experiences and people.
Coincidentally, spreading your focus to other avenues might just improve your climbing, your job, your relationships, or whatever else you’ve been trying too hard to improve.
So, that’s it. I think caring too much is bad news, folks. Of course, it still might be better than not caring at all.
Remember, the best laid plans mean nothing if you can’t take action today. Have questions? Need some feedback? Hit us up on the Contact page.
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Thanks guys, see you next week.
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