The Importance of Routines

On a good day, getting ready seems simple. You warm up, know what you want to do, and start with your attention in roughly the right place.

On a difficult day, the same sequence becomes scattered. You rush the warm-up, get distracted, rethink your plan, and pull on before deciding how to approach the climb.

A pre-performance routine creates a bridge between arriving and performing. It brings together a few actions that help you become ready for the task.

It isn't a guarantee. It is something useful to return to.

1Find your own version of ready

Not every performance needs the same level of activation. A short, powerful effort may call for a different approach from a delicate movement requiring patience and precision.

Athletes also differ. Copying someone else's aggressive build-up may leave you rushed; trying to become completely calm may leave someone else flat.

Think back to a performance that felt well managed. What was happening in your body? What were you saying to yourself? Where was your attention? What had you done beforehand?

Look for patterns rather than one perfect emotional state. You need a routine that helps you engage, not another condition you must satisfy before you are allowed to begin.

2Build a simple sequence

The structure in our approach has four parts: physical preparation, mental preparation, attentional control, and a performance trigger.

Physical preparation: Complete the appropriate warm-up and practical checks. For climbing, established equipment and partner checks remain essential, separate from any optional psychological technique.

Mental preparation: Clarify the plan. Choose a process goal, review a useful part of the sequence, or remind yourself of relevant preparation.

Attentional control: Decide what deserves your attention now. Perhaps it is the first foothold, the opening rhythm, or a clear external target.

Performance trigger: Use a simple cue that marks the shift into action. It might be a word, a comfortable breath, or a familiar starting movement.

Research supports the use of task-relevant pre-performance routines across studied sporting tasks, while leaving plenty of room for individual design.

3Make it adaptable rather than superstitious

A routine helps because of what it does for you, not because the universe rewards a precise sequence of gestures.

A useful routine supports preparation without becoming a rule that you must complete perfectly in order to perform.

Create a full version for ordinary preparation and a short version for moments when time is limited. The short version might involve confirming the plan, settling attention and using one cue.

Essential safety procedures are not the part to shorten. The flexibility belongs in the optional psychological elements.

Notice your starting state too. A flat day may need more activation; an overstimulated day may need less noise. The aim is readiness, not rigid repetition.

4Practise it before you need it

A routine introduced for the first time at an important event is another unfamiliar task.

Use it during ordinary training. Observe whether it makes the transition into action clearer, whether the cue is useful, and whether any element creates distraction or delay.

Then practise recovering when the routine is interrupted. Someone speaks to you. The start moves. A previous attempt goes badly. Can you return to a short, workable sequence without beginning everything again?

After an error, the same principle applies: establish what matters, reset where appropriate, and choose the next action.

You don't need the perfect build-up to perform. A good routine helps you prepare adequately and then stop preparing.