“Patience is not the virtue. Discipline is.”

Discipline is not a term reserved for the military or martial arts. Where patience is our anchor in the storm, it is our discipline that pushes us forward.
Discipline to our commitments, regardless of how large or seemingly small.
Discipline to our values, staying true to ourselves in both our best and worst moments.
Discipline to the details, when there’s every reason to “let this one slide”.

Patience is a subset of a deeper practice.
That of discipline.

“If you put limits on everything you do – physical or anything else – it will spread into your work and your life. There are no limits, only plateaus, and we must go beyond them.” – Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee was involved in a horrific motorcycle accident when he was younger. He was told he would never be able to walk again.

So he was left to make a choice. To believe that his life was limited, where the self-fulfilling prophecy would follow. Or, to choose to believe that there truly are no limits. That there are only the ones we impose on ourselves.

Bruce made his choice. He chose to believe in cause and effect, and he put in the work. When times got hard, he got harder. When he reached a plateau, he recognized it for what it was. Not a limit, but the next challenge. And he found a way to overcome it.

Bruce made his choice.
When we reach our next challenge, what will be ours?
Will we see it as our limit, or the next plateau to go beyond?

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has already taken place”. – George Bernard Shaw

Have you ever believed that you were on the same page with someone, but, as it turned out, not even close?

Sometimes we can be so sure that we have communicated everything properly, that we don’t even consider it to be a possibility.

Happens all the time, and definitely to all of us. What’s interesting is that it’s never about effort, or the lack thereof. It’s about perspective.

What we actually don’t want to do is “communicate” more. Part of it might actually need less.

What we may need, is to understand more. To place ourselves in their shoes. If I were them, what questions would I have? If I were them, how would I feel about this?

The illusion that Shaw refers to in the quote is the entrapment of our perspective.
Detach and think… if roles were reversed, is this clear?

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee

We would all come to quickly agree that quality repetition, through honed, focused practice, breeds mastery.

We recognize this in our sport, thinking of complex movements such as squat snatches and double-unders.

What we don’t always talk about, is how this concept applies to our social lives. We are quick to see that we need more practice reps on the double-under to get better. Can we be just as quick to identify we need more repetitions on being more forgiving? On being more receptive to feedback? On maintaining an open-mind, despite having our own strong opinions?

Just like on the jump rope… seek out the reps.

“I can accept failure. Everyone fails at one time. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is re-known for his incredible work ethic.
In this quote he speaks to the dedication to the process.

Whether our goals are in the gym, at work, or at home, this central theme rings true:
That we don’t commit to the achievement. We commit to giving our absolute best to the journey. We give the process our very best. And wherever the cards fall, they fall.

Let’s join him. We will accept the trials, the tribulations, and the failures as they come.
But what we can’t accept is never trying.

THINK

Turning “we” into “i” turns wellness into illness.

Scientists and researchers at Columbia University found that people who disproportionately use the first person pronouns- I, me, mine- have significantly greater risk of having a heart attack. Excessive self-focus distorts our perspective so that even small problems appear out of proportion and unbearable, which leads to stress and disease.

When you focus too much on yourself , you become disconnected and alienated from others. In the end, you also become alienated from yourself, since the need for connection with others is such a fundamental part of who we are as human beings.

TRAIN

How can we increase our performance for the 2022 Open right now?
We can’t get stronger in two days. . . we can’t get fitter in two days. . . but there are a lot of things in our control!

Our. . .
Sleep
Stress Levels
Recovery
Nutrition
Mindset

Let’s make it a point to focus on the things in our control over the days leading up to the Open. The work is done, now it’s time to fine tune and focus on what we can control!!

SLEEP

Insufficient Sleep and Food Cravings
1) We produce our own “endocannabinoids” which increase food cravings
2) Insufficient sleep increases our production and release of our natural endocannabinoids by up to 20%% increasing hunger levels by up to 30%
3) We eat 300-400 extra calories a day when we get insufficient sleep
4) Even if you are doing this during the week, it could be upwards of 6,000 calories extra a month

EAT

In this episode Adee and Michael (Working Against Gravity) are sharing some of their experience training for competition and giving an inside look at how that might alter your nutrition requirements.

What you’ll learn:

Nutrition and competition
How to eat before & after competition
Examples of foods that may or may not work for you
Proteins vs fats vs carbs leading up to competition
How to figure out what foods work best for you

THINK

“Capability is confirmed and grows in its corresponding actions, walking by walking, and running by running. . . therefore, if you want to do something, make it a habit.”
-Epictetus

James Clear identifies in his book Atomic Habits, that there are four main components to developing habits. First is a cue or a trigger to act, then craving for a change in state, followed by a response or action, and ultimately there is a reward.
-Sarah Gardner (Daily JAM)