Beta

There are some metaphors that I would like to share from my life as a climber because I have found them particularly useful when applied to the actions of our daily life as well as to the pursuit of the Dream of the Week.


Josh Simoneaux crushing Scarface at Smith Rock

The first metaphor is about finding your "beta."

Beta is a term we use in climbing to describe information about a route.

I am a sport climber, and I boulder  for strength training, so what beta means to me is: something secret, something that I am missing about a particular problem, perhaps a subtle movement I never even considered.

What's great about beta is that everyone usually has their own way of doing something. Not everyone can do the same move the same way, you may have to do it your way. However, sometimes there's no choice—you have to do it a specific way or you're not going get it. You want to find someone with whom you can share your secret information, your way, your beta.

If you are working on a particularly challenging project, having someone to share the burden, helping to figure out the sequence, helps both of you save energy. It also increases the chances that both of you will succeed.

Apply this concept to life and to your Dream of the Week, and find someone you can work out the beta with. I mean it!

If you are not in the habit of asking for help, get over it—now. Don't let ego get in the way. If you are trying to prove that you can do it alone, you probably can.  But why the hell would you want to? You know you'll need help, so get in the habit of asking for it sooner rather than later.

It took me a long time to learn to ask for help. In one instance, I spent an entire year living in a shit-hole, because I felt that I had to prove that I could make it on my own. Well, I couldn't. I needed help, so I called my mother and she got me home. (Thanks, mom, for saving me.) Great lesson, but you can save yourself a lot of pain if you learn this one quickly—don't be afraid to ask for help, ask for beta.

I love to spray beta. I can't help it. In the climbing gym, I can only take so much, watching guys fall over and over again, before I crack. I have to go up to them and show them how to do the move. I admire their persistence, but man ... (they should be asking for beta).

Most are open to my suggestions, although sometimes some people are put off, perhaps thinking, "Leave me alone ..."  And that's fine, they can take the beta or leave it.

Befriend that guy that loves to spray beta. He may be a happy dumb bastard, but he's loyal, and will help you find a way through your particular challenge. 

In climbing there are three kinds of people you want to climb with: someone stronger than you—they will push you to be stronger; someone that climbs at the same level—(even better if they are a beta match) you will encourage each other, help each other, and a little friendly competition never hurt; and someone that doesn't climb as hard as you—this will make you feel good about yourself because you can send in their face ... but also because you can push them to be a stronger climber.

Find these three people in real life for anything that you want to do, for your Dream of the Week.

It's all about these secret ways of moving through life's challenges, sharing this information, because we all see things differently and approach them from different angles.

It's all about finding your way. It's all about beta.