There is this pressure that to achieve anything, you need always to give your 100%. Let me tell you a secret. Nobody always gives 100%. It is a misconception. And often turns down people from even starting.
I am an MMA fighter, and a kung fu athlete. I have been performing in front of a crowd since my teenage years. But walking into a cage where the other person is waiting to physically hurt you, is quite a different level.
You Can!
I could say proudly that mental preparation is one of the main pillars of my prep for a fight. I spend hours with my inner monologue and my fears. I have listened to so many podcasts about how to beat fear, and I talked to people, fighters, who are not afraid doing that walk to the cage.
But I was always afraid.
Over the years, and through making friends with more fighters and coaches, who can give me the real wide spectrum of how reality is, I have realized, that some people are afraid and some aren’t.
You can work with your fear in some aspects, make it smaller, or limit the impact it has on your performance.
However, the biggest lesson for me was: I can do it scared.
There is no way that I could explain to my brain that those weeks or months of preparation and past experiences made me ready, or what is more, to make my brain remember that I actually love fighting. When I walk in, I will be scared. And I know, I am strong enough do it scared.
We can do difficult things.
And even if we are tired, or scared, or just not feeling it. Motivation is just a nice bonus.
I like to say that I am powered by decision, not motivation. Not always I feel like I want to train. But I decided so. So I train.
How to use this outside of an athlete’s life? Or are we really some kind of superheroes?
Not at all.
Let’s say you decided to go running or start taking ice baths regularly.
And you are at your 20% percent. Skipping the event altogether doesn’t help you unless you really need rest (and that is sometimes hard to differentiate, especially for us women! We always feel like we are lazy, not exhausted). Keep showing up, no matter how small. Put on your running shoes and stretch for 5 min. Done. Take a warm shower and use cold water to spray your legs. Done.
Keep On Showing Up! You Got This
Will this make you a super runner? Nope.
But the habit that you are creating, the habit of listening to your decision and showing up no matter how small you can act, is something that will bring you far ahead. And THAT can make you a super runner in the end.
So keep showing up, even if you just meant to tie your shoes.