Today I want to write about a theme in many boxing movies. The best boxer in the world who came out of the the worst part of town and now is comfortable in his new mansion. He doesn’t run to the gym any longer, now he drives his Bentley.
He doesn’t sleep in the same room with his older brother and mom and pops arguing on the background. Now he sleeps in a king bed with an 62″ LCD TV hanging from the wall that plays commentator talking about his next fight with a new up-incomer fighter. He looks at his opponent and something looks familiar. He reminds him of him 5 years ago. You know how the story goes and ends.
As we get better in the sport it is super important to keep the fire burning. An easy way to take out the fire is to surround yourself with too many luxuries and comforts that where not there before. It is very important that throughout your Jiu-Jitsu career.
Having too many options , having to much too lose can be such a hard obstacle to overcome for some athletes. The athlete that feels that he/she has only but one way to survive in life in a way has burn all the bridges and there is only now one direction to move on towards his/her goals…FORWARD! Its like having a gun to the head.
So what to do?… SIMPLE … Start donating to charity everything you have.
Just kidding.
I personally believe that you just have to be aware of the situation and be disciplined. I like to reward myself after accomplishing training goals. It can be something big or small like:
- After winning a major tournament I like to eat and drink like a pig.
- I won’t travel or take a vacation until I achieve a major competition goal .
- I make crazy challenges with coaches to motivate me ( Like if I don’t do this every day I’ll pay yo $500, attn: you have to make the bet big for this to work)
- I remind myself of what it was to have nothing at one point in my life over and over again until I am paranoid of ever being back there.
- I think of my competition training when I ma getting lazy or inefficient, and I get back on the fast track.
- I compete regularly and I don’t miss a major tournament.
These are some of the ways I use of the top of my head to keep the fire burning. I also have coaches that know how to push my buttons. I am the type of athlete that works hardest when he is told that he “CAN’T ” do something. I like to prove myself.
One thing that I really want to start implementing is to write my goals daily to help my mental training and record them in my subconscious. Make sure you read: (Goals for Athletes https://bjjengineer.com?p=328)
