How Climbing Helped Me Grow as a Writer

I was sweating profusely. My hands clung to the holds for dear life. My body vibrated in an attempt to shake out its adrenal response to fear. I was a quivering mess at the top of the wall, and I had only one more thing to do — let go.

I managed to hold in a shriek as I dropped a couple feet before the auto-belay device caught me and slowed my descent to the floor — providing some relief. I was shaking, slightly disoriented, and extremely self-conscious; but I had successfully finished my first ascent.

I managed a few more courses before my forearms couldn’t weather any more, and it was humbling to see others continue climbing well after I had finished.

I’ve been climbing regularly for a few months now, and I still get Elvis leg when I pass a certain height; but I’ve been making steady gains, and I’ve learned a lot of things that carry over into my writing.

Failure Happens, and People Will See It.

It’s funny how often the things that are hard — that we hate the most — are the things that provide the most benefit.

I hate writing drafts. I try to write everything from start to finish as a perfect piece. As a result, I never end up posting anything. I tell myself that the topic I chose wasn’t good enough or that I didn’t have enough inspiration. Truthfully, all I’m doing is running from the possibility that nobody will like my post; I’m avoiding the work it takes to grow. I’m afraid my writing won’t be good enough.

Climbers all know that falls happen. Gravity will win. You can’t stand in defiance of the laws of nature forever. You can’t execute perfectly every time you attempt a problem. What you can do is examine feedback and feed-forward a new solution.

Greasing the Groove

The best way to increase performance is to practice consistently. I treat mundane tasks and errands as opportunities to train. Loading up my weaker forearm with heavier grocery bags, sitting on an invisible chair, and doing trigger point massage whenever I can work it in has helped me grow.

I’ve begun to do the same for my writing; I now carry a little notebook around to jot down ideas I have or to write some poetry. Further, I now write on a daily basis regardless of how much I write. Some days are better than others, but I notice a steady increase in the number of words I can produce in a single writing session.

Climbers that have been at it the longest are usually the ones that execute moves requiring immense levels of strength and dexterity. The same holds true for writers. The more you write, the easier it becomes.

Success Happens, and People Will See It.

You may not notice your growth initially, but if your writing has reached even one person, I consider that a success. It’s empowering when you realize the metrics you use to gauge success are entirely subjective.

Ultimately, all you have to strive for is to make each attempt better than the last. Eventually, people will notice the results of your hard work.

The best part about having a community around you is that you can learn from each other. Plus, it feels great to have someone cheer for you when you do perform spectacularly.

We often strive for perfection. We don’t like to make mistakes for fear of being judged or made fun of. Often, our fears are entirely superficial — I know that this holds true for me. Perhaps we should let go of our doubts and fears and just start to climb. Sometimes good enough is good enough.