FOMO (Fear Of Missing Opportunities)

Man, what am I doing here in school... (thanks Wikipedia for the picture)

This post is going to more based on my own personal experiences. Depending on the kind of climber you are this may not be a problem for you, but if you're like me I hope it can help you climb better.

We all have experienced FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) at some point in our lives. Social media and activities like climbing have only made it worse for me. I oftentimes lament time spent in school or at work while pro climbers are at world-class crags sending the hardest routes in existence. But work and school are necessary... The world needs professional cheese scrapers, and I need money (I'm currently a dishwasher at a pizza place). I need to go to school to jump-start a career, so I don't get to climb as much as I want. Woe is me!

But when I do go climbing I get nervous. I don't want to blow it, especially after having built up going to the crag in my mind. I've noticed this often manifests in me staying only in my comfort zone. I don't want to look at the climbing days I was able to get and see failure, so I end up avoiding anything that could cause that.

I like to stick with easy routes that I know I can do, and I've noticed I skip certain routes. These climbs usually fall under these categories:

1) A hard route I've sent it before that I don't want to unsend.

2) An easy route I've done many times that I don't want to bother with again.

3) Routes that I'm too scared to do.

4) Nasty choss that doesn't seem like it would ever be worth the effort.

Of course, I'll never get better if I keep skipping new challenges or never expand past routes I'm comfortable with. That's when I decided to develop a FOMO that is more conducive to increasing performance: Fear Of Missing OPPORTUNITIES.

If I'm at the crag and someone says, "Hey wanna take a quick lap on this before I pull the rope?" I try to say, "Yes!" Even if the route is a bunch of garbage, I remind myself that there's something to learn even from the chossiest 5.6. Recently, my partner asked if I wanted to lead a route that had really challenged me when I first did it. I had to memorize beta and dial gear. But, I gave it a shot, and I sent it! Letting go of failing and going for it led to success! It seems so obvious now, but it scared me in the moment...

This mindset has been tough though. It's not very conducive to my expectations. Regular Fear Of Missing Out is sharpened. But, keeping perspective has helped me out. If I'm scrubbing a pizza pan while the sun shines on a beautiful day I try to remember that patience is a virtue. A stupid one, but a virtue. Long-term focus leads to long term improvement. Like all things, moderation is key. Spend time working, then spend time playing. It's ok to say no to a route that may be potentially dangerous and to wait for when you're ready for it. You don't want to end up trying too much of everything and not sending any of it. But, you also don't want to say yes to committing days to a climb that is way too hard. 

Find the right routes, and give yourself the chance to say "YES!" Make the commitment now!