Hold on Loosely, but Don’t Let Go

Were the members of 38 Special rock climbers?

Maybe. Probably not. This classic rock song seems to be about not smothering relationships.

The chorus is in fact an important principle when climbing.

When you’re rock climbing, you want to make the most efficient use of your energy and strength. New climbers will get “pumped” very fast from over-gripping.

To be able to climb high and long, you first balance as much as possible to offset weight in first place, then you want to hold just enough to give you a reliable contact, and no more.

This is great to think about in other areas of life and business. Applying just enough energy or resources to be fully effective, without wasting.