3 Insights From The Jiu Jitsu Mats

Because I frequently talk about and help people set and achieve meaningful goals people often ask me what my own goals are. 

Truth be told in 2019 I only had one real big goal and that was to achieve my purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I had other targets in business and other areas but the purple belt was the big one for me...

And I fell short! 

I didn't achieve it in 2019 but today, a month in 2020 the goal materialised.

It was a good reminder to me that with all of our goals there is a germination period...

We 'plant the seeds' and must then water the plant daily....

You can't rush the process, you've just got to keep showing up and watering the plant and taking care of it. 

There's no good in getting frustrated and giving up on a goal that you feel isn't happening quick enough for you, you've instead got to just trust the process fully and keep showing up. 

With that in mind and a fresh purple belt around my waist I thought I'd share 3 insights I've gotten from my Jiu Jitsu journey thus far....

1. Your calendar shows what you are committed to.  Until I started really planning my week effectively I genuinely believed I was training 3-4 times a week. When I actually got on paper the days and times of my sessions I came to see that really I was only getting 2-3 sessions a week. That's a difference of over 100 training sessions in a year. When I got honest about the work I was putting in and started tracking it my progress on the mats excelled. Are you giving your goal the respect it deserves and really doing the work? 

2. Without a coach you're guessing and hoping. I've had a Jiu Jitsu coach every step of the way on my journey the past 3 years. I ask questions. I take videos and seek critique and feedback and I trust my coach. He's been doing this for ten years and has many of the shortcuts I need. I would be crazy to try and tackle this without his help. It makes me look at other areas of my life where a coach could support me and fast track my learning curve. 

3. You are a reflection of your peer group.  There's guys on the mats who are new to Jiu Jitsu and make for easy sparring and then there's the more experienced guys who you dread seeing coming because you know it's going to be a tough session. But those tough sessions where you're really challenged are the ones where you develop, grow and learn about yourself. Are you consistently getting feedback and refining in the areas that are most important to you, or are you staying in a comfort zone and avoiding constructive criticism and feedback?

These three ideas have helped me immensely in my pursuit of this amazing art and I've no doubt they can translate across to any goal, target or area of life. 

I'm proud of the acknowledgment my coach gave me today in the promotion but prouder of the countless hours and mini wins I've stacked up daily in this martial art over the last 3 years. 

If you've never given Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a go get yourself to the nearest gym and prepare to become addicted. It's added such a great deal to my life and I look forward to continue and sharing the practice for as long as I can. 

Thanks for reading, 

Pat 

PS. My 5 week online group coaching course starts the end of February. Spots are nearly filled but if you're interested please shoot me back an email with the title 'Come Alive in 5' and I'll get you the details.