The way we tell our stories and address challenges is through our thoughts about the circumstances. Our thoughts can prevent us from taking the action we need to take.
I have been taking an online course recently. In this course, the Thought Model is introduced. The course I'm taking has nothing to do with climbing directly but I thought that the Thought Model can also be used to reflect on my climbing. I think I'm a pretty cognitive climber so applying this model to climbing was quite fun for me 😬
The circumstances referred here is the facts - anything that actually occured, observable by your 5 senses, and provable. The thoughts referred here is the thought that comes after the occurrence. The feelings then refer to how our thoughts elicited an emotional reaction. From that emotional reaction, an action happens resulting into an event or series of events.
The course highlighted that many people often mix up what is a circumstance/fact and what is a thought on the circumstance/fact.
Reflecting on my own climbing, sometimes I will have a thought that "This boulder problem is hard, I don't think I can do it." when observing a route. I will hold on to this thought as if it's a fact. However, the only provable thing about the boulder problem is the way the holds are placed, the assortment of holds on the wall, and the angle of the wall. Another person can look at the same boulder problem and think to themselves "This boulder problem is soft, I can do it."
In a simplistic visual, we get something like this:
| Person A | Person B | |
| Circumstance | Boulder Problem X | Boulder Problem X |
| Thoughts | "This route is hard, I can't do it. The setters over set again" |
"This route is soft, I can do it. Might not get it on first try but it's definitely doable." |
| Feelings | "Ugh, this is so frustrating!" | "Yay, feeling strong!" |
| Actions | Defeated body language, scowls, grunts, cries. | Psyched, laughs, gets back up even when falling, hopeful. |
| Results | Walks away from the route. | Finishes the route. |
It is super simplistic, obviously there are more nuance to a climb, but it goes along that. What the course also highlights is that we often forget the "Thought" section of the model. So the way Person A sees it is that "Boulder Problem X is making me frustrated!" i.e. Person A believes that it is the circumstance that is making things difficult for them but the thing is the route is what it is.
I think this is one of the most fascinating things about climbing. As much as it is a physical sport, it is actually a mental sport as well. How well can you reframe your thoughts? How well can you rewrite the narrative you tell yourself when you see a sloper, when you see a route on the roof, when you see a dynamic move?
Personally, when I know the latest set is the roof, my immediate thought is "I don't think I'll finish a lot of climbs there." When I know the route has pinches, my immediate thought is "Nice, I should be able to do it because I'm pretty good at holding those, not like my crimps - I suck at those". Maybe it's true that I will not finish many roof climbs, but is it really from the lack of the physical ability or is it because I already primed my mind that I can't and so I started a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Sometimes I feel like the route manipulated me, or better yet, sometimes I feel like the route-setters manipulated my feelings - that they made me sad or frustrated by putting the holds the way they did. But in reality I am the only one talking to myself with that narrative. The setters and the holds had nothing to do with it.
There are times when it is easier to remember that it is my thought about the problem that makes me feel and act the way I do. Other times, it's a challenge. Here are some of the things I hope to develop further after reflecting on the Thought Model:
Those are pretty ambitious ask of myself. I hope I can follow-through! 🙏