Showing up is half the battle…
I’ve heard this over and over since I was a kid. Your first coach, dad, mom, and substitute teacher have said this.
If you’re hard on yourself, it can be the quintessential saying for all that have failed to achieve. A consolation prize for trying to do something out of the ordinary…
While they’re not wrong, No one ever prepared me for how many times I would fail.
Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” But what happens when you’ve missed 10 times out of 10?
Jiu jitsu has taught me, in an albeit brutal manner, that I may not even hit the mark once during a training session. Or ten.
The failures take different shapes.
The words I told myself sounded like:
“I didn’t make it to the podium at all.”
“I can’t hit the move of the day.”
“Not a single thing worked in class today”
“I beat that guy all the time! How’d I lose?”
“He’s only a white belt. It doesn’t make sense!”
“Why’d I start so late…They’re so much younger and faster than me”
Worst of all, “I got hurt and now I’ve got to take 3-6 months off the mat”…
This happened to me earlier this year when my knee locked up on me after getting up from the ground.
I couldn’t walk for a week.
Doctor and MRI say that My meniscus needed to be repaired.
I had gotten into a solid routine and was ready to take on some big goals.
Now I’m forced to live the lesson that I force the kids to repeat before class.
“I will ALWAYS give my best.”
Always means that I will show up.
My best effort does not guarantee the result.
But my perseverance will…
I still had a goal of developing my aerobic fitness and getting leaner.
So I found ways to get my heart rate up without using my injured knee.
I did my physical therapy exercises religiously.
I kept with the diet.
I showed up to class when I could.
I studied videos of the techniques I wanted to work on when I got better.
After 5 months of rehabilitation, I was in shape for a return to competition. It was my first World Master’s Championship at black belt. I was able to win 2 matches, beating the number one seed in the process, and make it to the Quarterfinals.
I learned that if my goal is Mastery, then,
My success is only limited by my willingness and ability to show up to training the next day.
If I can’t spar, then I’ll drill. If I can’t drill, then I’ll just watch.
There is always something I can do.
The only thing I’m not allowed to do is Nothing.
I also learned that showing up to training is what brings me joy.
I enjoyed the process more than the actual competition or sparring.
Getting ready to compete meant that I got to spend more time with other students, refining techniques and discussing recovery methods.
In competition, Losses are guaranteed. I can’t depend on the result for my joy.
Every moment shared was where I found my joy.
Joy is only possible if I come back the next day.
See you on the mats
