I notice on many ski forums the relevance of thinking in skiing is often talked about, as in I know it’s my thinking, but that doesn’t help.
Well, that’s an understanding of thought at an intellectual level. As if it’s a concept. Like in the Alan Coren joke:
Question: What’s the difference between intellect and intelligence?
Answer: Intellect is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Intelligence is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad!
When we truly understand something, our behaviour changes, our world is a little different. We know. We get it. The ‘Ah-ha’ moment. And then something changes in an instant. Like knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad!
And the traditional approach to changing our thinking is to try and change it by changing behaviour. For example by learning some new skills, or to get mindful, or use positive thinking or visualisation. Which might occasionally give you a fix, but not a lasting ‘cure’.
And then you fall on to the never-ending treadmill of seeking new techniques when the old one no longer works. That’s no different from a drug addict moving from drugs, to sex, to gambling, to shopping, to food to whatever. It’s impossible to change your thinking, and certainly impossible to change it by changing behaviour. We don’t work that way.
The upside is having a true understanding (of the intelligence behind our experience) of where your thinking comes from – and that’s never from behaviour – means that you don’t need to do anything to change your thinking, your thinking changes, naturally.
And how will you know you’ve got it? Easy, your behaviour will change!
That’s Skicology, the mental foundation of a life-time of great skiing experiences. If you’d like to gain an understanding that changes your experience of skiing, then check out here
