Flexible Planning
Mike Tyson famously stated “Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth.”. So true. And with such rapid change everywhere around us it's very applicable to each and every one of us.
It doesn't mean you don't have a plan. If you're driving over to Perth then that's your objective or macro-plan. How you do it is your micro-plan and this is where flexible planning comes into play. We look at boulder problems in the same way.
The objective is clear. Defined start and finish - the how is up to you. And when you build your toolbox of skills you have a broad range of options to choose from at any one moment. Sometimes when it's difficult to read the route, you just have to see what it feels like and adjust your game plan accordingly. So when the intention of the effort changes from 'sending the route' / achieving the ultimate objective to one of learning then the toolbox expands.
Those who are the best in this domain have a number of common denominators. These are three big ones:
1. Experience - They can read the route / problem well. This comes with an open mind top learning and time on task,
2. Diverse range of skills - (ie. large and diverse skills toolbox)
3. Adaptable - know what tool to use in any given moment and adapt quickly and accordingly.
Funny how applicable each one of these is also in general day-to-day life. Yes, Bouldering is extremely relatable to real life and the skills extremely transferable.
23 May