Comments on: Intuitive vs. Analytical http://warriorsway.com/intuitive-vs-analytical/ Just another WordPress weblog Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:43:39 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Arno http://warriorsway.com/intuitive-vs-analytical/comment-page-1/#comment-140 Arno Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:59:44 +0000 http://warriorsway.com/?p=711#comment-140 Hi Laurel, Sounds like the worst of "both worlds." There could be an anxiousness throughout the entire climb. Your mind rushes you off stances so you aren't able to take advantage of the rests to regain energy or to look into the next section to do your preparation. Also, once you do leave the stance, your mind stalls you mid-crux looking for a rest where there isn't one. You aren't able to take advantage of the momentum you could have by staying committed. - Future lessons will give you tools for utilizing stances effectively and then committing fully once you leave that stance. For now, when you feel anxious, ask: "Am I climbing or resting?" Pick one and then commit to it. Arno Hi Laurel, Sounds like the worst of “both worlds.” There could be an anxiousness throughout the entire climb. Your mind rushes you off stances so you aren’t able to take advantage of the rests to regain energy or to look into the next section to do your preparation. Also, once you do leave the stance, your mind stalls you mid-crux looking for a rest where there isn’t one. You aren’t able to take advantage of the momentum you could have by staying committed.
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Future lessons will give you tools for utilizing stances effectively and then committing fully once you leave that stance. For now, when you feel anxious, ask: “Am I climbing or resting?” Pick one and then commit to it.
Arno

]]> By: Laurel http://warriorsway.com/intuitive-vs-analytical/comment-page-1/#comment-139 Laurel Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:37:37 +0000 http://warriorsway.com/?p=711#comment-139 I have noticed that sometimes I get "stuck" trying to stop at an "ok" stance where a better option would have been to move on (maybe using some momentum that I've then lost). Interestingly enough I think that I cause this both by underthinking and overthinking. Underthinking: climbing too fast and not looking ahead enough to see where the next hold options are, or not resting when I can so I'm too tired to move off the "ok" hold Overthinking: stopping and trying to get a "better" stance to rest when I don't have to. I've also noticed that I tend to get over analytical on the first lead of the day, especially if I'm leading trad or if it's unfamiliar terrain. I've recently rediscovered the joy of TR'ing straightforward crack climbs where I don't have to think at all (especially in contrast to leading, which is very analytical for me, such as remembering which pieces I've placed and what I have left, where the last piece I placed is so I don't kick it while moving above it, where I need to go to avoid rope drag, etc...). I have noticed that sometimes I get “stuck” trying to stop at an “ok” stance where a better option would have been to move on (maybe using some momentum that I’ve then lost).

Interestingly enough I think that I cause this both by underthinking and overthinking. Underthinking: climbing too fast and not looking ahead enough to see where the next hold options are, or not resting when I can so I’m too tired to move off the “ok” hold Overthinking: stopping and trying to get a “better” stance to rest when I don’t have to.

I’ve also noticed that I tend to get over analytical on the first lead of the day, especially if I’m leading trad or if it’s unfamiliar terrain.

I’ve recently rediscovered the joy of TR’ing straightforward crack climbs where I don’t have to think at all (especially in contrast to leading, which is very analytical for me, such as remembering which pieces I’ve placed and what I have left, where the last piece I placed is so I don’t kick it while moving above it, where I need to go to avoid rope drag, etc…).

]]> By: Arno http://warriorsway.com/intuitive-vs-analytical/comment-page-1/#comment-137 Arno Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:17:15 +0000 http://warriorsway.com/?p=711#comment-137 Hi Robby, Thanks for your post. It's definitely a balancing act. The article is intended to reveal general tendencies we have toward being intuitive or analytical. We still have both within us; just need to develop the "hidden" one to balance out the one we usually operate through. Your example of rushing at work, even when you see yourself as analytical, reveals how familiarity can cause you to bypass the analytical preparation process. You still need to consciously prepare, even if it is familiar ground. The prep may be quicker but you still do it consciously instead of assuming you are prepared based on familiarity. Arno Hi Robby, Thanks for your post. It’s definitely a balancing act. The article is intended to reveal general tendencies we have toward being intuitive or analytical. We still have both within us; just need to develop the “hidden” one to balance out the one we usually operate through.
Your example of rushing at work, even when you see yourself as analytical, reveals how familiarity can cause you to bypass the analytical preparation process. You still need to consciously prepare, even if it is familiar ground. The prep may be quicker but you still do it consciously instead of assuming you are prepared based on familiarity.
Arno

]]> By: Robby http://warriorsway.com/intuitive-vs-analytical/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Robby Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:12:24 +0000 http://warriorsway.com/?p=711#comment-136 Hey Arno I recently worked at the gym that brought home this lesson. A boy about 10yo climbed 3 or 4 times with me belaying, each time getting to the same spot as before. The next time he climbed I said that I was going to ask him to make one more move, and he gave me a puzzled look. Sure enough, he made it to the same spot, asked to get down, and I asked him to make one more move. He promptly stiffened, let out a loud I want to get down, and grabbed onto the wall firmly. In the short time I talked him into letting go, and belaying him to the floor (he was about 8 feet up), his eyes were welling with tears, and his fist were clinched. I helped him to calm down by showing him the deep breathing technique, and he quickly relaxed. Afterwards, feeling a bit guilty, I realized that young boy's reaction is somewhat how I used to react when I was growing up, and still can react that way when I fall into that old analytical way of thinking, especially when it takes me so long to make a decision. This is tricky for me, because in my recent past, within the last 4 years at my job, I've also rushed myself a little too fast, and came close to having a serious accident. So, although I tend to overthink some situations, in some, as in my job example, I tend to rush and not take everything into consideration. I would have to say that I have come a long way, and learning about climbing has helped me tremondously in my climbing life as well as my personnal life. I never gave a serious thought about lead climbing, and now have 10-15 lead climbs, I work at a couple of gyms for climbing, and I teach at the local college, all of which I never gave a thought about until about 5 years ago. So some things do take alittle time, but that doesn't mean you keep making a decision about doing something or not doing it. So I like to gather my info, stay as close to my plan as I can, but know I can make small adjustments, or even bigger ones, as I go. For me, climbing or life, I do my best to follow this process. Hey Arno
I recently worked at the gym that brought home this lesson. A boy about 10yo climbed 3 or 4 times with me belaying, each time getting to the same spot as before. The next time he climbed I said that I was going to ask him to make one more move, and he gave me a puzzled look.
Sure enough, he made it to the same spot, asked to get down, and I asked him to make one more move. He promptly stiffened, let out a loud I want to get down, and grabbed onto the wall firmly. In the short time I talked him into letting go, and belaying him to the floor (he was about 8 feet up), his eyes were welling with tears, and his fist were clinched. I helped him to calm down by showing him the deep breathing technique, and he quickly relaxed.
Afterwards, feeling a bit guilty, I realized that young boy’s reaction is somewhat how I used to react when I was growing up, and still can react that way when I fall into that old analytical way of thinking, especially when it takes me so long to make a decision.
This is tricky for me, because in my recent past, within the last 4 years at my job, I’ve also rushed myself a little too fast, and came close to having a serious accident.
So, although I tend to overthink some situations, in some, as in my job example, I tend to rush and not take everything into consideration.
I would have to say that I have come a long way, and learning about climbing has helped me tremondously in my climbing life as well as my personnal life. I never gave a serious thought about lead climbing, and now have 10-15 lead climbs, I work at a couple of gyms for climbing, and I teach at the local college, all of which I never gave a thought about until about 5 years ago.
So some things do take alittle time, but that doesn’t mean you keep making a decision about doing something or not doing it. So I like to gather my info, stay as close to my plan as I can, but know I can make small adjustments, or even bigger ones, as I go. For me, climbing or life, I do my best to follow this process.

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