Funding the Adventurous Life
For those of you new to this site, The Interview Series is a way to highlight those in the world of climbing who view life through a different lens. These folks have found a way to balance life’s passions amidst a whirlwind schedule of family and work obligations, not stopping to consider the easy way out. Rob Pizem does it. And then he does more.
Continue reading “Rob Pizem: Fighting the Good Fight”
The mind, and therefore our outlook on life, is instrumental in forming our habits. The modern world often forces us in to a routine, some of which are important — say, brushing our teeth. But in a world where technology and automation free up increasingly more hours of the day, our down-time routines make or break our potential for learning and growth.
Let’s imagine two different potential routines. Each routine represents the post-work activities of a young professional.
Continue reading “Examine the Routine: The Mindset”
Today I’m thrilled to bring you the first in a two-part series from the climbing and training legend, Dave MacLeod. Dave has an impressive and varied climbing resume, including countless top-tier first ascents, F9a sport routes (5.14d), V15 boulders, Scottish XII mixed routes, and E11 trad. Dave is nails strong — mentally and physically — and that’s no accident of good fortune. In this interview, Dave offers a glimpse into what makes him tick, and why it’s essential to live life outside the box if we desire exceptional results.
Continue reading “Dave MacLeod: Life Outside the Box, Part 1”
It’s no secret by now that I’m a full-on obsessed rock climber. Long ago the ship sailed on climbing only for “fun,” and my time devoted to this sport has been replaced with performance ambitions. I’ve spent most of the last decade planning, goal-setting, training, and chipping away at pre-defined objectives. But in climbing and in life, you can only go full throttle for so long. Of everything we do to be a better climber — or even a better human — sometimes it’s what we don’t do that really matters. Rest might be the most important element.
Continue reading “Rest: We Need It and We Don’t Get Enough”
If you’ve been in this climbing world for more than a few days, you know that my guest interview today, Jonathan Siegrist, needs no introduction. He’s simply one of the world’s top climbers, and he’s crushed it in all major facets of this game we play — sport, bouldering, and trad.
We’re going to mix things up this week and feature Jonathan not because he’s pursuing a life of financial independence or running a business, but because he works damn hard and is a man with a plan. He is laser focused on his goals, but he knows there will be more to life than professional climbing. There’s not much luck in this story.
Continue reading “Jonathan Siegrist: Life After Professional Climbing”
This article is a completely unsolicited review. No one at Power Company asked for my feedback, and frankly, they may not want it. I paid full price for their Custom Training Plan, and there are no imbedded affiliate links in this article.
Training for climbing has many parallels to pursuing financial independence: You can hit the low-hanging fruit and see huge gains early on, but then it’s a game of stacking small short-term gains for long-term growth.
If you’ve been following this site, you know by now that we are very intentional about our spending. After watching from the sidelines for several years, I recently jumped on board a personalized training plan with Power Company Climbing. Here’s what I thought…
Continue reading “Power Company Climbing: Training Plan Review”