Practice Doesn't Always Make Progress

Every Thursday night, my husband and I have a babysitter come so we can go out. It’s not a typical date night, with low lighting and a nice dinner. We don’t even go to a movie.

We go rock climbing.

A little while back, they changed all the routes on the wall where we climb, which is always a treat. It represents new challenges to embark on and conquer.

They can also make you crazy with frustration. Currently, I am stuck on a beige colored route on rope number 13. It’s a 6b if that means anything to you - a level that I can normally climb.

In this case, I can’t get past the 4th move. I slip every time. I have watched countless people do the moves, and get past the part where I struggle and fall. I have tried again, and again, and again. Week after week, I try again. Week after week, I slip and fall.

What’s most annoying is that my 9-year-old son can do it.

This is where we can get the idea of practice wrong. We think that if we practice enough, eventually we will make progress. This is what Briceño refers to as the Performance Paradox.

Case in point : How long have you been typing on a keyboard? How much faster have you gotten over the years?

Eventually, most of us get stuck on a plateau because practice doesn’t always make progress (and it definitely doesn’t make perfection.)

When it comes to this route, and this challenge, I had to stop practicing and think more deliberately. I asked myself : What can these other climbers do that I can’t? What strength do they have that I don’t? How can I work on this route, when I’m not here?
Most people think that climbing is a lot of arms and back muscles, but it’s actually a lot of legs too. This particular route, though, requires the arms and back — a lot of grip strength, and the equivalent of being able to do a pull-up. Never, in my life, have I been able to do a pull-up.

Instead of continuing to try the route again and again, I am stepping completely away and have created a routine to increase the strength where I need it most. It includes doing everything but practicing the route.
substack.com/@theresadestrebecq/note/p-185060536?r=1r3i31&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web
Again, practice doesn’t always make progress.

I’ll share more about the Performance Paradox tomorrow, but will leave you with these questions:

Where are you currently trying to progress? What does the “practice” consist of? Is your practice actually making a difference?

Originally posted on Substack with comments.

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