Technically it’still January. That means it’s still New Year’s resolution season. While goal setting is an important part of progressing as a climber, becoming a better climber isn’t always about climbing the next hardest grade. Redefining our goals can change how we measure success, increase our enjoyment of the sport, and even help our overall performance in the long run.

Towards this end, here’s an article from Evening Sends by Andrew Bisharat. In it, he asks a series of questions that can help you reframe your 2018 climbing goals and move away from always pursuing the next grade.

“In the past, I’ve made the error of saying that I want to climb X grade in the subsequent year. Sometimes I’ve achieved that goal, though sometimes it’s taken me four years to achieve that grade. The problem with this approach—and the reason for this post—is that focusing on reaching new grades strikes me as such a common, short-sighted, and unimaginative way to consider your progression as a climber.”

“I’ve assembled a list of questions to ask yourself, which I think might be helpful in terms of reframing how you go about setting 2018 goals/resolutions. These questions may even assist in redefining what it might mean to you to become a “better” climber. This sport is a lot bigger than climbing rungs on the grade ladder, so perhaps our climbing ambitions might be better served to reflect that as well.” – Andrew Bisharat

Becoming a Better Climber in 2018

As we mentioned above, Bisharat isn’t asking questions that will help you get stronger. Instead, they are about broadening your appreciation of all that climbing has to offer.

Obviously, we are still all about training and trying to become stronger climbers. However, we do think it’s important to pause from time to time so we can remember what we are actually training for. Click through below to read Bisharat’s article. It’s a great place to start!

Full Article: Evening Sends – Becoming a Better Climber in 2018

(photo courtesy of eveningsends.com and Keith Ladzinski)

Other Articles You Might Like:

• EveningSends: Don’t Get Strong. Get Good.
• Evening Sends – 5 Recovery Tools Every Climber Should Have
• Tips for Getting Better Not Stronger
• Evening Sends: Climbing Mobility with Kelly Starrett