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Motivation, What do you use???

Original Post
Capt. Impatient · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0

So, I'm sending this out to see if I can get my motivation back to train. So I would like to know, what quotes, books, videos, or whatever it is you use to keep you motivated.

Jon Zucco · · Denver, CO · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 245

"Good men drink good beer."
-Hunter S. Thompson

Similarly,

"Good men climb good lines."
-me(?)

and everyone knows that the good lines don't start until 5.12c

There's your motivation. Go crush.

Sarugo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 45

Climbing porn. Or just videos of people doing impressive stuff in general.... like this one

Ryan Nevius · · Perchtoldsdorf, AT · Joined Dec 2010 · Points: 1,837

External modes of motivation are silly. What are you excited about? Do that.

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

i use a point system. then you have something to compare it against year to year, and you can set fairly specific goals for a year.

5.samadhi Süñyātá · · asheville · Joined Jul 2013 · Points: 40
slim wrote:i use a point system. then you have something to compare it against year to year, and you can set fairly specific goals for a year.
can you elaborate?

I always have loved training for itself so I may be an oddity...I of course love sending routes that I previously couldnt but because of recent training could...but also I love the day to day training rituals at home, beating my previous workouts, charting my progress, etc/....its a hobby in and of itself!

Then the outdoor trips come and you send shit you never thought possible and it just makes you feel good.
NC Rock Climber · · The Oven, AKA Phoenix · Joined Dec 2009 · Points: 60

I am 100% not trying to be a smart-ass here, but isn't that a question that you need to ask and answer on your own? If you are not motivated to train and can't find a good reason to push yourself on your own, then why bother to do it? Whatever your motivation is, it needs to be personal. IMHO, true "stoke," the kind that lasts, comes from within.

Again, it is not my intention to be rude. I wish you much success with your training.

S Denny · · Aspen, CO · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 20

boobs. definitely boobs

Brendan Blanchard · · Boulder, CO · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 590
S Denny wrote:boobs. definitely boobs
Jugs are easy though, no one needs motivation to climb all over jugs. Jugs are nice.
wufpak18 Martin · · Salt Lake City, Utah · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 15

Colors light commercials

Capt. Impatient · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0

Alright, I'm liking the return so far. Some funny (color light commercials? Which I know you meant coors light) some are deep and made me look into myself (like the one from 'NC Rock') and I know there is more to the quote of Hunter S. Thompson. But here is what I have going on. I have a home gym that I think most climbers would love to have. ( 8' by 10' 45 degree wall, 4' by 8' 30 degree wall, 6' by 6' 15 degree wall and any part along the roof that was open is now covered to half of my garage. one adjustable crack machine. hangboards, rock rings, H.I.T. Strips. While preparing my home gym to start training again I came across my training binder and was looking at my old "records", most seem to stop at about a month or two. One was from a shoulder/neck strain that shut me down the others are from life events that consume my time. I have motivating quotes around the gym and a two project route I would love to send. So again what is that climbers use to keep themselves motivated???

chuffnugget · · Bolder, CO · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 0

MOTA-vation bro. Can't step in the gym without it.

clay meier · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 350

Drugs.

Shawn Heath · · Forchheim, DE · Joined May 2008 · Points: 28,380

I have the same thing going on. I was motivated for about 2 years straight, and am quite surprised at that. I'm usually pretty focused on hobbies, not having usually more than one or two at a time. I seem to go through cycles, and for me it would be impossible to stay psyched on climbing 100% of the time. So I don't really see it as a bad thing, but rather as an opportunity to enjoy my other hobbies, or even be productive at work instead of hanging out on Mountain Project all day. ;-) I'm just going to go with the flow and let my motivation come back when it comes back and not try to force it because if I do that, I'll get even more demotivated. And when I get my motivation back, I'll get back to my slew of projects.

One question though, why are you trying to motivate yourself to train? It's send season! Winter is for training.

Capt. Impatient · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 0

Shawn--- you are right it is sending season, I am going out this weekend to mess around and do a few climbs. After that if I can squeeze in one more trip for the year I will be happy but I'm looking to start my training after this coming trip. I just don't want it to fizzle out again like so many other training attempts.

anna.gutwin · · Burlington, VT · Joined Apr 2013 · Points: 85

I have a line at my home crag that gives me all the motivation I need to guide my training. It's super aesthetic, super classic, and super hard. I have it on my home screen on my computer and often think, "what have I done today to help me prepare for my ultimate goal?" Then I have little projects to help me keep the feeling of success.

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103

For training motivation i think it is important to have a good visual indicator of how you are progressing. During hangboard season, i keep my records in a spreadsheet and print my graphs at work on the afternoon of my workout so i can look at it on my bus ride home. This allows me to see the upward trend and know that i am getting stronger.

For actual climbing goals, i have several point systems for various goals. For example, one of my goals for the year was to average one 12a per week. A simple graph of the 52 weeks and how many 12a's you have sent can help show you if you are on track or not.

I also have a point system where 10a is 1 point, 10b is 2 points, 10c is 4 points, etc. I keep track of how many points i earn each year so i can compare years, etc.

Ultimately it doesn't matter how you define your point system. My wife's.goal for the year was 50 11a's. At first she thought it was silly, but then she actually really got into it. She has already blown her goal out of the water, and now she is gunninv for 100 5.11a's this year.

Goal tracking holds you accountable and produces results.

Rob Cotter · · Silverthorne, CO · Joined Mar 2009 · Points: 240

High-grade...

William Sonoma · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2012 · Points: 3,550

Can you find motivation in the ego? Seriously. Everyones different so this may not be your way or for you, but motivation can come from the ego for sure. Im not saying you have to/should cling to ego, just have it bring up energy and transform that energy into your climb (into that moments happenings)

For peripheral (non-self sustaining, comes from an outside source) I like climbing movies, books and magazines (if I cant, am not climbing physically). Stories of epic adventures (like JC Lafailles Annapurna epic) REALLY get me going. I "get off" on risk, doesnt mean Im unsafe/uncalculated, it motivates me to do what most would or could not.

For true, self-sustaining motivation (it has to be from within, not without) I pull upon past experiences. Now once you add past experience + future potential (say youre putting up new routes, developing an area) that = adrenaline rushing motivation that I can sustain throughout a long period of time.

You can find your stoke by looking without, but ultimately its there or its not and its an internal, self-sustaining energy. If youre not finding it, dont force too much. Wait and come back IF (big IF) you arent finding your motivation.

Shawn Heath · · Forchheim, DE · Joined May 2008 · Points: 28,380

Like I was saying, my training season last year was full of personal motivation and now I'm in a down period. For me, I hope to this year find a group of motivated climbers to train with and feed off of their motivation, hopefully sapping it all from them so that I get stronger than all of them and come back in the Spring ready to crush harder than everybody! Just kidding, but my suggestion to you would be to invite friends and strangers over to your garage to train with you. I find it hard to believe that if you can schedule something, a climber is going to turn down a chance to train all season for free on a sweet rig like you've got...

slim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2004 · Points: 1,103
Shawn Heath wrote:Like I was saying, my training season last year was full of personal motivation and now I'm in a down period. For me, I hope to this year find a group of motivated climbers to train with and feed off of their motivation, hopefully sapping it all from them so that I get stronger than all of them and come back in the Spring ready to crush harder than everybody! Just kidding, but my suggestion to you would be to invite friends and strangers over to your garage to train with you. I find it hard to believe that if you can schedule something, a climber is going to turn down a chance to train all season for free on a sweet rig like you've got...
I am totally opposite. I would much prefer to train alone. It is a lot easier to stick to the game plan and you dont have other people getting in the way. Just me and 200 decibels of hateful death metal.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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