The universal climbing rule is to start at the base of a climb and go up. How you choose to move, or what you’re capable of doing with your body varies — even by day. But the methodology is the same; Move your feet higher. Grab something with your hands. Stand up. Alternate limbs. Climbers are experts at using imperfections to ascend to the top.
The climbing process is about working to get your body working for you instead of against you. Extending your arms lessens muscle tension, which allows you to exert yourself for longer. Then you can store a little extra juice for the looming sweet spot of the climb. Learning how to trust nearly miniscule crystals in the rock allows you to find a way there previously was none. And the process is all about working it out instead of letting go or giving up.
Using Imperfections to Ascend
The crevices, cracks, striations, and bumps offer us just enough of a flaw in the rock to allow us to climb it. And if you refuse to sink yourself into those imperfections, there’s nothing there for you to hold onto. It’s a trust-balancing act. You have to believe that your feet will stick to the wall, or they’ll come sliding off because you doubted them.
I think that humanity is this way, too. We have to lean into our flaws, and trust our intuition in order to climb. There’s almost never a perfectly polished wall of granite in front of us. Most of us have gaping holes that could be stemmed, massive jugs that require almost no effort to hold onto, and maybe even a moderate crack climb. But we don’t always put into the work that moves us through the challenges. Instead, we might sit staring at the wall from the base, wondering why our lives aren’t going how we’d like them to go.
It’s easy to blame everything on external factors. Maybe if I had more money, I could to A, B, or C. If I could just get the right sponsor, then I could go after this massive dream. When I’m ready, I’ll take the leap of faith. But the reality is that most of the time, we already have the power to do the thing that scares us. And we’re just making up reasons not to do it. Sure, sometimes we might not have the physical strength to climb a particularly hard pitch. But usually, we’re just whining our way around the problem, stopping ourselves from accomplishing something that’s already within our abilities because we don’t want to try that hard.
Each imperfection type requires a different climbing strategy. Crack climbers learn how to wedge their hands and feet in the feature at a precise angle to create friction. The strategy hurts. Even if you’re doing it right it often results in road rashes and bruises. When the crack becomes smaller, it becomes increasingly difficult to climb, but by the time you’ve reached it, you’re more prepared to overcome it than ever.
I’ve found this to be true in business, and in relationships, too. If you build a strong enough foundation by throwing yourself into your own imperfections long enough, you’ll be able to tackle the harder things when they come along.
Climbing the Jugs in my Own Life
I hate the morning. I think it was created as a punishment to humanity. And I usually wake up, stare at the wall, and wonder why I’m still tired. I’m not always disciplined. Sometimes I take the easy way out, because it requires less physical and mental energy. But I’m trying to recognize these vices as jugs to overcome instead of realities that persist in my life. Because the longer we ignore the realities of who we are, the longer it’ll take us to climb higher.
If you measure the risk, approach it with mental confidence, and exert the right amount of energy, it’s possible to overcome each challenge, whether it’s a shitty habit of yours or a particularly difficult pitch. But it takes a willingness to move forward if you’re going to make progress. And we have to use our imperfections to ascend to the top.
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