Failure is a part of life. Often, it’s a painful part of life, so much so that we develop complicated ways to get around it. We avoid situations where we think we might fail, or we only do things we already know we can do rather than tackling something a little more difficult. But the truth is that we can never avoid failure altogether, and the longer we try to do so, the more it will hurt when it happens.
Studies have shown that remaining open-minded to the possibility of failure helps people become more creative. If failure isn’t a catastrophic event, you will be more inclined to try new things. But learning to accept failure as a part of life isn’t always easy. There’s a lot of emotional baggage associated with failure, and that means we have to work hard at rewiring our brains so we view failure as a stepping stone, not an end point.
That’s where rock climbing comes in. Climbing helps you overcome that deeply ingrained fear of failure by giving you a safe place to fail and motivating you to keep trying.
How Rock Climbing Helps You Punch Fear in the Face
(maybe add to this?) I think most people are afraid of failing in front of people. But imagine what you can accomplish if you were to overcome that fear. Would you say hello to that person you’ve always wanted to meet? Would you be yourself no matter what situation that you are in?
- Feelings of accomplishment – One of the biggest sources of joy from climbing is from the feeling of accomplishment that you feel once you you reach the top of a climb that you previously could not. In fact, the more you have to “work” the climb to figure it out, the greater joy you feel when you get to the top.
- Pushing your limits – You then start to look for climbs that are too hard for you but one that you feel could be attainable with a bit of work. During that process, you are constantly failing while you figure it out. And this is what everyone is doing in the climbing gym. Everyone is constantly failing until they finally don’t.
- Failure is learning – So you’ll quickly learn that failure is just part of the process of learning and getting better. You will no longer worry about failing in front of people. In fact, you will often times laugh as someone gives you a fist bump for your effort.
- Supportive community – Everyone in the climbing gym, from beginners to crushers, understands this process. So instead of judging someone when they fall, we cheer them for their effort. That’s why the climbing community boasts one of the most supportive communities you’ll find anywhere. As you experience these positive interactions, you’ll gain confidence to step outside your comfort zone and take on the next challenge.
You’ll quickly learn to stop worrying about what people are thinking and start focusing on the task at hand. That is a powerful concept and one that you can take with you outside the climbing world.
So even if you are new to climbing, you can feel comfortable coming to Method and learning how to climb. Don’t be afraid to fail but instead find enjoyment when you overcome your failures!
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