´Trying and Failing is Better than Not Trying at All´
´Never Miss an Opportunity´
´Trust your Body´
These expressions really relate to climbing. Moreover, climbing is a metaphor for what we experience in life in general.
Sometimes I can be insecure or uncertain about my abilities, I experience fear, or I´m afraid for more injuries... but it is better to try something, than nothing at all.
Let me explain further. I have been climbing since I was 14 years young (now 36), but I quickly became injured all the time due to doing too much and generally being injury sensitive. Yet, lately I have been able to climb and boulder much more than I have ever done in my entire life (more about that in a future blog)! Nowadays, I´m conscious about the fact that I get injured easily, and therefore, sometimes I refrain from trying at all, which can be a good thing, but often also unnecessary because I can do more than I think.
Therefore, I have a new strategy: try step by step, how little it can be (beetje bij beetje, poco a poco), it does not matter, as long as I´m trying. Because not trying at all, is worse than failing. I mean, I regret more for not trying, than failing on the go. Furthermore, I lately learned that if something is not working for 3 or 4 times, I need to try something else because that is apparently not the way the route is intended. So shift your strategy, and try something else instead.
There is of course a limit in how many times you can try, and that is totally personal. Depending on your condition, strength, power, sleep, day, night, weather, and what not. Letting go on the right time is also a strength.
Thus, in general, trust that your body knows when it is time to try, shift, fail, ór let go. You will feel and know the answer yourself. Finding balance is key.
