Motivation: directing towards the goals

KILDARE, IRELAND (Irish Climbing Coaching) – Following on from the previous theme, hopefully you’ll have been thinking about what keeps you motivated.
For most people, what keeps them motivated is the aim or desire to climb a new, harder grade.
Obviously, if you’re going to put some time in on a discipline, it makes sense that you actually enjoy what you’re doing as it’ll help keep you going when you’re busy, the weather is crap, you’re tired, etc. – i.e. what keeps you motivated?

So, now that you’ve an idea of what keeps you ticking, relate this to your aims goals for the year. This all links to what we’ve been talking about regarding goal setting. Most importantly, what you practice at, you’ll get better at. So if you’re hoping to improve your traditional climbing level, it makes sense that you’re going to have to focus on this type of climbing. Same goes for bouldering, sport climbing, etc.
What we mean here is that if you’re going to focus on trad climbing (taking this as the primary example as it’ll relate to many of the climbers in Ireland), you’re going to have to make sure your stamina is emphasized while training. Likewise for bouldering, it’s largely bouldering and strength/fingerboarding work that ye should be thinking about. Makes sense?
Having said that, I am going to contradict myself here a bit by saying that don’t completely disregard the other disciplines. While stamina is absolutely critical for trad climbing, if you’re not strong enough to do the moves it doesn’t matter how long you can stay on the wall. Trad climbers need to focus on some bouldering or strength training more than boulderers need to practise for some stamina!

Another idea to consider, and only slightly off-topic :) , is that of the motivations that come from those around you. If you’re looking for a catalyst for improving your climbing and staying motivated, make it an idea to climb with new people/strangers every once in a while. Just taking the effort to meet and climb with new people will help keep you on the path that you’re aiming for!

O.k., I’m not going to elaborate on this more today – it’ll take a few blog entries to get you thinking about this! We’ll start giving you an idea on the concepts of making up training plans in the coming days and weeks (although a climbing coach will be required to properly explain it all!).

Set yourself some time today and take 10 or 15 minutes to write down your goals for the year. Keep it short – don’t try to over-extend yourself! It might just help you realize what you need to think about to improve this year.

Image Credit: Unknown climber spitting off a project in Rodellar, Spain. Photo by Keith Ladzinzki – one of the best climbers in the states at present.

- Neal :) -

January 29, 2008 | neal.mcquaid | 4 Comments »

Motivation: towards your goals

LIMERICK, IRELAND (Irish Climbing Coaching) – Continuing on from Nigel’s post last week, I’m left with the task of compiling how to translate motivation to your own situations. Stay with me here, I’ll try keep it concise and to the point!

Firstly, motivation will come in different shapes and forms for everyone. Like everything else in life, what motivates you will be different to what motivates everyone else. Makes sense?

People get motivated for multiple reasons. Get stronger/faster/better, friends are involved – they’re all valid reasons. For most, climbing will be about recreational fun, for some others it will be push themselves to the absolute limit. Some will be to challenge themselves, to beat your friend at the next IBL or on route(s!), to be the best(!)

In short, you need to give yourself a reason, or a goal, to remain motivated. If you find yourself turning up at the wall just ticking off a few routes – ask yourself; is this what you want?

What motivates you? -This is a key question to answer…..
For a lot of people they won’t be completely aware of why you train or climb, meaning that motivation goes through dips and troughs as you get distracted from your goals. Don’t forget, the Real World (family, friends, partners, work, fun) will all do their best to interfere in your situation! It’s a case of keeping yourself focused and in check – which will help you reach those goals you’re aiming for.
Take those negative issues and focus them on positives – again, see Nigel’s entry for a prime example of this!
See how this relates to goal setting? Try and relate it to your goal setting as mentioned previously on the blog. Make sure that the goals you’re setting correlate to what keeps you motivated – that’ll keep focused on what needs to be done.

Image Credit: The author’s hard work & motivation during the previous year pays off – lowering off from 8a+ (Asia Shadow Play, Thailand)!

January 23, 2008 | neal.mcquaid | No Comments »

Goal setting for the Year

KILDARE, IRELAND (Irish Climbing Coaching)

Hi all!
Firstly, welcome to the new site and we hope to supply you with some interesting notes while you’re here!

Well to start this site off (and in the interests of people checking in regularly :) , I thought I’d start off with the concept of goal setting in climbing.
Since it’s early January, and mid-winter, now is a great time to be considering your goals and ambitions in the coming year. And that’s not just in climbing, feel free to adapt this to whatever you do in life!
With a couple of months before the dry(er) seasons arrive, it’s worth getting some thoughts into your head regarding what you aim to get out of this year.

Climb a new style of route? (sport, boulder, trad, ice, aid?)
Visit some new areas? (Europe, USA, etc.)
Climb a new grade?
Become more consistent at a grade?
Climb more routes in a day?
Stop getting panicky and scared above gear?
Climb with more people to improve my technique?

While just thinking about the aims for the year isn’t going to give yourself the results you’ve wished for (if only! :) , it’s definitely a big step in the right direction towards reaching your ambitions! By just putting them on screen or on paper, you’re making that conscious decision to persue your aims.
If you’re feeling even braver, why not even publish them – we’re interested to hear everyone’s thoughts!

So go on, stick your neck out and throw down the gauntlet to yourself (it’s only going to matter to you) and write down your climbing goals for the year in the comments below. Looking forward to seeing them!

I’ll even add mine in to get the ball rolling. Trust me, I get uncomfortable myself putting these in the public domain!

Note: no, neither myself or Nige are in the photo above :) , but this is the best example (with a photo) of goal setting. I met John (Canada) while in Siurana in Spain in November. He’s in his early 50’s but had set himself a goal to climb 5.13 (that’s 7c+!). You know what, he pulled it off easily….

Update: Don’t forget to check our continuation on this series, Goal Setting: Ins and Outs

January 7, 2008 | neal.mcquaid | 12 Comments »
Newer Entries »