Mental Perseverance

Your mind will quit on you long before your body does. While it is good to listen to your body to avoid being sidelined for extended periods of time due to injury or overtraining, you must also push the limits of your physical threshold. If you push yourself consistently in training, you will be amazed at how your body reacts, rebuilds, and adjusts to the rigors of whatever you put it through. To do so, however, you must exercise and train the mind. You must convince yourself that toughness is worth achieving and that the pain is only temporary and serves as a rite of passage for those who will make it far enough to reap the rewards of training. Pain is what tests our will to learn and challenges our commitment to continue the journey. Now - I am not saying that you have to train through injury. There is a difference in being "hurt" and being injured. If you are injured, take a step back - rest, recover and come back when you feel ready enough to train. If you are hurt, then welcome to the club. Accept this as part of your life and wear it proudly as a token of your commitment to improvement. I love seeing the guys who are hurt but continue to push through and progress. I also love seeing the guys who are injured that still show up to class just to watch technique and stay sharp while sidelined. This shows dedication and perseverance. Keep up the good work!