By Scott Campsall
In my almost 30 years of martial arts training, I cannot count how many times I’ve heard people say they are planning to start to train. They need their schedule to open more like when their kids get older or when they’re less busy at work. Or they need another activity to finish so they can start a new one. Or my personal favourite…they need to get in shape first…to do the activity that will get them healthier!
It is always a plan to start on a Monday, or the first of the month, or next year. It is never a plan to start NOW.
Everybody who plans has good intentions, but planning means you’re not acting. You’re choosing to avoid getting started.
Doing takes effort. Choosing to work on yourself or to do something new is hard. You know it will be uncomfortable. It might even be a little intimidating. So, you plan. You spin your wheels until you say you wish you could be more active while learning something. And then you start all over, planning and wishing. You wait and wait. And then, sometimes, the choice is made for you. Either you get too old to start…or you don’t live long enough. Or a doctor ends up telling you that you need to do something physical to relieve stress or lose weight.
Planning makes us feel good because we tell ourselves we will be better without doing any uncomfortable work.
Let’s be clear. A vision is different than a plan. Your vision might be to be to get a black belt. It might be to play with your kids without pain. Once you know your vision, you don’t sit and research. You get to work. You do everything you can to make that vision a reality. Yes, there will be mistakes and setbacks along the way. There will be discomfort and pain. But you will be moving forward, not sitting still and planning. You will learn and adjust as you go, but you will be in motion towards the vision you imagined for yourself.
Who do you think gets closer to their goals? The person who researches the perfect plan all week, or the person who trains all week without worrying about the details? Who do you think loses more weight? The person reading a diet book this month or the person who just cut out snacks after dinner this month?
Good for you if you’re already training with us. You’re putting your plan into action. Keep up the good work and keep improving as you go. If you’re reading this and you’re still planning to join us? Well, it’s time to be a do-er and not a planner.
LET’S GO!