Limitless Monday – Submit less

The legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas, trainer of Champions including an early Mike Tyson, said in a recent podcast that he tries to submit a little less each day.

We are all in the habit of giving up too easily. That doesn’t apply only to our grandest ambitions. It applies to everything we do. From insignificant tasks such as making our bed or paying our credit card bill to abandoning a dream or quitting a healthy habit such as exercise.

Most of us submit habitually without giving it a second thought. A reaction caused by years of conditioning where your brain now thinks it is acceptable to submit without even trying.

The other day I was attending a Jiu-Jitsu class. I wasn’t feeling especially motivated. Prior to class I had duly completed the ritual of packing my gi as soon as I returned from work. Once I am packed there is never any turning back. Completing that ritual may help get me to class but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee my heart is going to be in it. Showing up however is the key.

The beauty of Jiu-Jitsu is that anything can happen. And it did this particular night. As my opponent manhandled me to the ground, mounted me with minimal resistance and pinned me to the mat, I somehow remained calm but immobile. For a moment I had lost my willingness to fight. I was sapped of energy and motivation. As he pulled his lapel out from under his belt I could feel it being wrapped around my neck. That’s when the pain kicked in.

I was faced with two choices. Tap or fight. Tap was by far the easiest option. The pain would stop immediately. But taking that route would leave me irritated having too easily surrendered when the outcome was far from certain despite the immense discomfort of my predicament. I decided to fight. I quickly bridged him off me, pinned his legs to his chest with my body weight and used my forearm to choke him until he tapped. My motivation quickly returned as my next eager opponent appeared in front of me.

The reason for sharing this story is not to demonstrate my Jiu-Jitsu prowess. Far from it. Prowess is the last word you would use to describe my Jiu-Jitsu. It is to show how submitting may seem the easy option at the time, but it is only convenient in the short term.

A minute after you tap, in life as in Jiu-Jitsu, regret replaces pain. And this kind of regret is not something you can self-help away. It will make it easier for you to tap the next time life becomes a little uncomfortable or when faced with the choice between an easy or a tough option. Constantly taking the easy route will lead to a disappointing, unfulfilled life.

Submitting a little less each day will make achieving your goals a realistic possibility. Perhaps you can resurrect those old dreams you abandoned in darker days. Today I want you to make a concerted effort to take the hard option when making decisions. Don’t smoke that last cigarette, cut back on your processed food intake, stay at work an extra hour, study for an hour longer, save money.

Begin taking the hard options. Avoid autonomically tapping out when things become uncomfortable. Reverse the situation. Make it very uncomfortable for your enemy!

Happy Monday!

Banner Image: Fall seven times, stand up eight. Image Credit – Zhivko Minkov