I want you to imagine two climbers, and see if I can put an idea in your head about how they will perform on the wall. They are of equal strength and technical skill.

We are considering their language and body language to predict their performance. 

Climber 1

Our first climber is quiet and contemplative. Before attempts they brush holds and mime beta for their upcoming effort. You can hear them breathing whilst they climb, and if they make a mistake, they are likely to laugh it off or learn something for the next attempt. They hold their head high and wear a smile on their face. 

How likely do you think this climber is to perform well for their level?

Climber 2

Our second climber mutters about how bad they are at certain moves or lack in ability. After a mistake or failed attempt, their shoulders slump and their head drops. Before attempts they brush holds and mime beta for their upcoming effort. In between attempts, they second guess whether their beta or skill is deficient.

How likely do you think this climber is to perform well for their level?

Remember, these climbers are of equal physical and technical ability.

The mindset

Hopefully these examples paint a clear picture to you of growth vs. fixed mindset, and how our view of our abilities will lead us to success or failure.

By growth mindset I mean a mindset that allows us to change (this climb is hard, but possible, a chance for me to learn). By fixed mindset I mean a mindset that holds us in place or leads to regression (this climb is hard, why do I suck at X hold? I hate this type of climb).

I try to view climbing as a way for me to push my limits and grow through performance. I have struggled in the past with performance in competitions; too in my own head and tense to let my body do what it needed to. Changes in mindset have been the answer to what was majorly holding me back.

Climbers of the same technical skill and strength can perform very differently based on their mindset. You could even imagine both climbers as different versions of yourself. If I have a good day or a bad day, did my physical ability change much? Or is my mindset and self-talk playing a large role?

Shift your thinking

So how can we positively impact our climbing and our lives through self-belief? I used to be a very pessimistic guy, but a conversation with a very sweet and cheerful friend of mine set me down a different path.

Me: "Hey, how come you are so positive all the time?"

Friend: "I try to find the good side of any situation, generally I can find at least one thing to be happy about. Things could be worse!" 

Me: "That sounds really hard, I don't think I could do that." (What a fixed mindset I had!)

Whilst I couldn't flip the switch immediately, over time I did take the effort to try and find something to be happy about most of the time. It really worked! Positivity begets more positivity, and negativity begets more negativity. Imagine a ball rolling down a slope, picking up speed. Now I have gone on a bit of a tangent here, but I believe this can really impact your climbing too. How do you speak to yourself generally, and in relation to climbing?

I would really encourage you to frame things with growth mindset language. How can you improve here? What can you learn here? Why are you climbing and what are you trying to achieve? Why should you believe in yourself? What are you doing well? By finding positive ways to describe your performance, you can increase your chances of performing well. Maybe you have or can find positive people to climb with, and boost each other’s performance and support! A caveat: we aren't looking for arrogance, we are looking for quiet confidence based on good habits and training.

One last thing: if you are finding yourself in your head and struggling to calm down, breathing is an excellent thing to focus on. Breathe deeply through your belly, let your mind empty as you breathe out. Exhale as you make hard moves and try to fall into the zone of being focussed, yet not trying too hard. SMILE!

(The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey is a great read if you feel like taking a deep dive into your mental game)

- Lenny