Projecting is pouring your time and energy into the process of climbing something that is at or above your physical limit. It might take you days, weeks, months, or even years to complete. This year, lead the pitch by taking the project off the wall and create one for healthy climbing habits!
Our staff members are projecting too, check out their 2022 projects below ↓
Step 1: Set Your Goal
When setting a goal, try choosing something you're already working towards. It can be easier to stick to a goal that fits into your existing routine rather than something totally new. Focus on selecting a single long term goal, it can be as small or large as you want!
Example Goals
Fitness Finesse: Put your focus on your physical wellness including injury prevention and recovery.
Mental Might: Put your focus on overcoming mental blockers.
Construct a Community: Put your focus on building connections with others in the climbing community.
Step 2: Create Your Project
The next step is to create a project by setting 2 or more small objectives that will contribute to you accomplishing your goal. It's the same as working on multiple problems on a climbing project, piece by piece you'll be able to send it!
These objectives should be specific and attainable so you can easily cross them off your list when they're complete! Keep your objectives small as this will make it easier to build them into your current routine.
Example Objectives
Fitness Finesse
- Take 1 yoga or fitness classes
- Introduce a 1-hr training-focused session
- Research and introduce 5 new stretches
- Dedicate 10 minutes to warm-ups
- Downclimb every route topped
Mental Might
- Dedicate 1 day of fun-only climbs
- Create 1 motivating playlist
- Read 1 mental-training book, such as "Vertical Mind: Psychological Approaches for Optimal Rock Climbing" by Don McGrath and Jeff Elison
- Take 3 practice falls at the start of each rope session
- Start and end your session with 1 climb you can flash
Construct a Community
- Attend 1 Community Event such as Monday Night Meetup, Ladies Climbing Coalition, or Send With Pride
- Ask to Project with another climber during 3 different sessions
- Sign-Up for a bouldering buddy on the community board
- Join your Community Facebook Group
- Introduce yourself to 2 staff members you haven't met
Step 3: Schedule Your Project
Now that you have your objectives, we will determine how often we will do them, and for how long.
If you intend to build habits from your project, you may consider starting small. Habits can take a long time to create, but they form faster when they are done more often, so starting with something reasonable that is easier to accomplish can make your project more sustainable.
Once you create your schedule, it may be helpful to write it down so you can keep track of your progress, and act as reminders to finish your objectives. It's also a nice reward to check something off your list!
Example Schedule
Fitness Finesse
- Take 1 yoga or fitness classes per week for a month
- Have a 1-hr training-focused session per week for a month
- Research and introduce 5 new stretches before and after every session for 2 weeks
- Dedicate 10 minutes to warm-ups every session for 2 weeks
- Downclimb every route topped for 1 week
Mental Might
- Dedicate 1 session per week for fun-only climbs
- Create 1 motivating playlist by the end of January
- Read 1 mental-training book by the end of January, such as "Vertical Mind: Psychological Approaches for Optimal Rock Climbing" by Don McGrath and Jeff Elison
- Take 3 practice falls at the start of each rope session for 2 weeks
- Start and end your session with a climb you can flash for 1 month
Construct a Community
- Attend 1 Community Event such as Monday Night Meetup, Ladies Climbing Coalition, or Send With Pride per month, for 3 months
- Ask to Project with another climber during 3 different sessions in the next month.
- Sign-Up for a bouldering buddy on the community board by the end of the month.
- Join your community Facebook Group by the end of the week.
- Introduce yourself to 2 staff members you haven't met by February.
Step 4: Reward Yourself
The final and most important step is to reward yourself during your project! Celebrate every milestone, every check mark made on your objectives list, every successful session! Projecting isn't easy, and you deserve some rewards for all the hard work you're putting in.
Example Rewards
- Grab coffee or tea on the way home from the gym
- Treat yourself to a bath bomb and soak your sore muscles
- Buy yourself a new piece of merch to climb in
- Get a fun dessert on your next grocery trip
- Use your guest pass to spend quality time with a friend or family member
- Take an extra rest day
- Tag Sender One on Instagram so we can cheer on your progress
- Give yourself a hand massage - those things are probably exhausted!
- Sleep-in an extra hour during your weekend