Why You Will Quit and I Won't

Posted by Admin

It's going to happen. It's going to happen and it's going to keep happening. Inevitably it will rise up and slam you straight in the face without warning. One day all will be good and the next day you will crumple into a whimpering, drooling heap in the corner. Despite your best intentions, one day, if it hasn't happened already, you are going to wake up and discover yourself making every excuse possible not to train. You will turn on yourself. It may be happening to you right now.

You will think about the road ahead, your life, and panic will set in. The thoughts of everything you have to do: the work, the training, the nutrition, the learning, trying to fit sleep in there somewhere. Boxing is probably not the only thing in your life. You have relationships, classes, school, interests and hobbies. Your kids are being neglected. Your wife or girlfriend complains you are putting them second.

You feel broke and broken -- you think of it all coming straight at you and you will be overwhelmed by the flurry of activity in your life. This is when you will realize that quitting is an option. Not only is it an option, but it would feel so good to just forget about everything. No one is forcing you to train. You can simplify your life and make it easier. No one is forcing you to live clean and no one is watching what you put in your mouth. No one forces you to come to this website and follow these training programs. So why put yourself through the torture day in and day out? Just quit. Give up.

Photo by odegaard

Yes, please do quit, because that will make my life easier. That will be one less person I have to compete with on a day to day basis. That will be one less person in my mind who I have to visualize running faster, hitting harder, slipping quicker than I am. That will be one less round I have to put in to ensure I maintain the edge. That will be one less pushup I have to do to rise to the top, one less situp to prepare the body for one less punch.

And that doesn't even begin to detail how easy you will make it for me to succeed out of the ring. Giving up now will set in motion a pattern that will haunt you the rest of your life, in all aspects of your life. You will see that every decision you make, no matter how good your intentions are, will result in failure. Giving up once sets a precedent, it makes history, and history repeats itself. Quitting will get easy. It will become second nature. So go ahead, quit, stay down and let someone who really wants to win, win. Get out of the way and make life easier for someone else.

Quitting is a choice. It is black and white. There is no gray. You can pretend to cloud every issue with as much crap as you want to avoid making that choice, but in the end, it is one vs the other. Every decision is a choice. You either put the cake in your mouth or you don't. You either go the gym or you don't. You either train hard or you don't. There is nothing inbetween.

So what? What are you supposed to do when this happens?

Just do it - Do something. Get up right now. Stop reading this article and go and do something, no matter how small that deals with what you want to achieve. It is a baby step and it will lead to more. Break the inertia and the motion will be hard to stop.

Visualize it. Take 1 minute and see where you want to be. Don't just see it, live it and feel it. Go through it in your head. See yourself fat free in the mirror, feeling the satisfaction of knowing you are in incredible shape.

Immerse yourself in your goal. Watch a boxing match and visualize where you want to be. Surround yourself with people who want the same thing and will push you. DO NOT ASSOCIATE with people who will sabotage your progress. Rid yourself of the garbage in your life.

Learn. There is absolutely no reason you cannot begin where you left off or even start over if you have to. Your worst opponent is yourself. Overcome him/her and you will overcome everyone else.

What do you do when it gets tough? When things aren't rosy and easy? Are you one of the 90% who stands aside and lets someone else do it? Or are you one of the 10% that picks yourself up and hits back? Please tell me, I'm dying to know.

Comments

Firstly I just wanted to say

Submitted by Laura White (not verified) on 2 December 2010 - 7:24am

Firstly I just wanted to say that this is a great article, this web site is a gold mine of information and inspiration.

I often find myself fighting against myself.

I get tired of it, but that's a part of life and making the progress towards becoming a Boxer or fighter. You have to fight against yourself to become a fighter, that includes your fears, your excuses and even your day to day life. As you said, you are your own worse enemy, and even more so when you are faced against an opponent in the ring who is so much better than you, fitter, stronger and faster. Why beat yourself up when your opponent is doing it for you? Why? Because its the easiest thing in the world to do next to blaming others for your own failures. We may ask ourselves, "Why me?" but little do we think of the other 90% that does the exact same.

When I find myself doing this, I celebrate in the small victories, such as walking through the door of the Boxing gym, having the courage to step into the ring, getting out of bed and going for that morning run etc. You have to think small when you are overwhelmed with the burden of daily life, otherwise you will end up swamping yourself.

I have only been Boxing now for eight months, I made up allot excuses before that, saying that I was too old (being 19 years old at the time, I'm 20 now), too overweight (I've actually lost 50lb since training and changing my diet, I'm still losing the weight) my right knee is weak from surgery (from previous martial arts training), I'm poor, have no job, failed school etc.

Yes, it may be true. But Boxing doesn't care, hell, I can't think of a single thing other than people who do care. These excuses were mere illusions that I created to sabotage myself. We all have them, the inner demons. This is what we fight against everyday and every time we stand up against them, we become stronger.
You need to learn to accept them for what they are.

You don't need to be great to start, but you need to start to be great.
A winner doesn't quit and quitter never wins.
The road to success is paved with blood, sweat and tears.
Actions are far more powerful than words,
and If you can dream it, you can do it.

These are all true and not just in Boxing, but in everything that we aspire to do.

If there is anyone out there that reads this article and this post, If you find yourself feeling down (as in a constant low) I recommend that you go to the doctor and be checked out for depression or any other mental illnesses (or psychical illnesses/ injuries etc. for that matter). These are not only road blocks for your training, but are also hazardous to yourself as an individual and others around you, also consider getting counseling.

Do everything you can to even out the odds.
Whether it means training, going to church, getting counseling, spending time with those that you love or care for, watching the Last Contender etc. DO IT!

There is something you can do regardless of the situation you may be in.

Be one of the 10%, so guard up, chin tucked and keep on fighting. =)