The Arrival Fallacy

“Once I send this next project, I’ll be satisfied.”

I’ve felt it a thousand times now. Back in 1997, I worked for many weeks to climb a route I bolted at Sinks Canyon, Wyoming, called Mr. Majestyk. I trained, and practiced the crux, and stressed over the climb. It’s the kind of route you claw slightly closer on each time, with a hard move guarding the chains.

It was a cold day in late March when I did cli…