I’ve recently watched this TEDx talk given by Amy Morin about bad mental habits and what they cost us. I’ve included this talk as a link and I would highly suggest watching because it’s really great, for re-evaluating ourselves and how we think, and also to find motivation to change some things that may be holding us back.

Morin lays out 3 destructive beliefs that rob us of our mental strength:

1. Unhealthy beliefs about ourselves (self pity, magnification of our misfortune)
2. Unhealthy beliefs about others (we give away our power with the misconception that other people control us)
3. Unhealthy beliefs about the world (the world doesn’t owe you anything)

But what does this have to do with tree climbing, or even arboriculture in general?

A lot, actually.

Knowing and doing are two completely different things. There are many people that know, because it’s easy to know: the standards, the maximum breaking strengths, the two hands on the chainsaw, the suggested application rates and the list goes on and on. But when in comes to doing, there is this sudden disconnect. Because knowledge doesn’t so easily translate into action. And it’s because of our own mental weaknesses and our bad mental habits that develop, and persist until they consume us, and begin a process of self deterioration.

We see success all around us, all the time. At tree climbing competitions, at chapter symposiums, at international conventions and all over social media; we see colleagues and friends and other companies wallowing in success, making leaps and bounds in the industry. Meanwhile, maybe we’re dragging our own feet, struggling financially or having a hard time building a trustworthy team at our own firm. Our research projects are lagging. Our students are disengaged. We’re losing a lot of clients to competitors. We start to use other people’s success as a frame of reference for our own. It distracts us. It leverages our self doubt, and as Amy Morin suggests in her talk, it eats away at our own mental strength. We give up. We’re back to feeling sorry for ourself, being weak and ultimately pulling the string to set the trap.

One point she makes is that in challenging times, good habits just aren’t enough. Mental strength is like physical strength, and it must be trained into our routine everyday, in every way. We need to train well, eat well and think well. It’s the smallest details that matter, that must be a part of the routine. Because its easy to give up on the small things, which eventually causes the chain reaction, leading to chaos and hampering our sense of control.

I’m thinking of challenging situations at work. Tough rigging situations, hard working positions, stuck gear, abrasive clients, equipment malfunction and dealing with other teammates. Instead of turning inward, we immediately turn outward, which can very quickly lead to the breakdown and destruction of the whole system; whether its the relationship amongst team members, between you and your clients or between you and your own family. Failure to be mentally strong can affect you in every corner of life. Which is why it is so critical in our daily routines.

In her talk, Morin makes it clear that this type of thinking is exactly what holds us back. ‘Quit hosting your own pity party’ is something that Morin repeatedly reminds us of.

This isn’t fair. Why do these things keep happening to me?

Hydrate. Train. Read. Read more. Talk and communicate better. Having trouble with throw line? Throw more. Having trouble in Aerial Rescue? Practice more. Having trouble with a speed line system? Speed line more. Having trouble setting up felling cuts? Cut more. Can’t remember how to set up a mechanical advantage system? Set it up more. Preparation yields better results. Morin tells us that in order to change the world around us, we need to believe that we can. That’s an easy thing to let go of. But it happens all the time. Excuses are a dime a dozen. And believe me, anyone can get better at anything, but mental toughness is what determines how far success travels.

My favorite quote from Morin’s talk is that, “the only person we should compare ourself to, is the person we were yesterday.”

We are all so different as climbers, as arborists and as people. But if you have a drive for success, and a will to learn, and a will to be patient, and the wisdom to start small, and the clarity to focus every single day; you will learn and change and grow and be happy.

And that will affect everyone around you in the most astounding way.