Slow is better

Bouldering is about moving fast, but to do so, you must move slowly.

Bouldering is rock climbing stripped down to its essentials, one hard route, 3-4 meters, that is only 5-10 moves long.

To nail one route, my initial response is still to go fast. Because my strength will only last so long, usually about one problem; if I hang on too long, I won’t make it.

But the truth is, the best way to boulder isn’t to move as fast as possible.

Instead, you move slowly. You pick your first move, then stop, plan your next move to use minimal energy by aligning your center of gravity, make a move, and stop again to plan.

By planning, you can significantly reduce the energy you need for each individual move.

By forcing yourself to think, you’re able to spend less energy on the whole problem and, as such, solve it faster.

Only by moving slowly are you able to move fast.

The thing is, I believe most hard things in life actually work like this.