image by mmabuzz

Anyone can stand strong when the game of life is going their way. But who are we when the pain comes? It’s what we do when we’re down that counts most. That’s the critical, defining moment. So when it isn’t going as planned and we’re knocked repeatedly on our butt what do we do?

Here are some tactics from the world of fighting to us prepare and handle those situations like a champion:

CHAMPION TACTICS

1. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
   It (the unexpected) will happen.

   Count on it. Then plan for it.

   Have you thought about what you’d do if you lost your job or if your business went belly-up?

   What would you do if your book or movie was a flop?

   What if you don’t make the first round pick?

   Sure it’s impossible to plan for every possible situation, but we can certainly prepare better. Champions continually seek to improve their conditioning so they’re ready if (and when) they’re knocked down and pinned.

   Although most of what we worry about never happens, planning prepares us.

2. Have someone in your corner.
   This is huge. We all need a support system.

   Forget Hollywood’s portrayal of the champion that did it entirely on their own. That just doesn’t happen.

   When preparing for battle (and life can certainly be that, among other things),  we need someone to wrap our hands for the fight. When we falter and our confidence is shaken, we need sound advice and encouragement.

   We need someone to echo the champion’s voice when we can’t hear our own. And when you’re hurt, you want a good “stitch man” who won’t panic but instead will ice your wounds and stop the bleeding.

3. Remain calm.
   Focus on breathing deeply. Remain calm and in the moment. Look for the opening. Look for the opportunity. There’s always an opportunity if you’re ready for it. You just have to remain calm and watch for it.
4. Redefine yourself – Continually.
   In the world of Mixed Martial Arts, fighters have to do it all the time.  A formidable striker becomes a great grappler. Some fighters do it out of necessity, some for the love of the sport. The true champion does it for both.
5. Remain teachable.
   This quality goes hand in hand with redefining yourself. Champions remain students. They understand, as George Leonard expressed in his must-read book Mastery, that “the road to mastery never ends.”
6. Focus on the immediate.
   Focus on what you can do – right now. Be in the moment – in the NOW. Champions understand that you can’t change yesterday or even 10 seconds ago. You must let that go. So stop wasting time and energy on the past and focus on the immediate. That’s what you and I have. Right now. You want to make a difference? You want to make a comeback, it starts right now. This very second.
7. Recognize the resistance.
   Learn to recognize the “resistance” within – what I call the chump. The small voice inside that insists upon safety and so-called security rather than bold, belief, and action.
8. Push through the fear.
   Learn to face your fears and push through them. Most of them are completely unfounded and based on nothing more than worry. Sure you’re scared. That’s okay. Remember that courage isn’t the absence of fear but the willingness to face it and take action anyway.
9. Stick to your plan.
   If you did your homework, stick to your plan. As I said in a previous post, on your back isn’t the time for that crazy ninja maneuver you heard about but never practiced. Remain with the basics because they tend to have the highest returns.
10. Bring the Passion!
    Love it or get out. It’s that simple. Sure it’s work. Damn hard work in fact. But if you don’t love it (plateau, pain and all), why are you doing it?

Face down on the mat isn’t the time for crazy ninja maneuvers.
It’s a time for clear thinking and intentional action. But this position is where we sometimes find ourselves “oriented times zero” as John Eldridge described in his book Waking the Dead. Our understanding becomes little more than an awareness of our existence. And Pain. For a moment at least, that’s all we know.

In such moments, with vision blurred and confidence rocked, we need air in our lungs, calm in our mind, and belief beyond the circumstances.

But how?

STOP!

When your reset button has been punched. Just stop. For an instance at least, do nothing. Let the calm return.

Then…

BREATHE!

Fill those lungs with oxygen. Get blood flow back to the head

And…

SEE!

What do you see? Not with your eyes but within your mind? Regain clarity and focus. Even if you can’t  see 12-inches in front of your nose, you can regain perspective and belief in your inner champion. See the dream again. The dream is always bigger than the circumstances. The champion is always tougher than the challenges.

THINK!

This is an opportunity to think differently. Methodically. With intention. What should be changed? Where is the opportunity? There’s always an opportunity if you’re ready for it.
So how can this moment be leveraged?

Now..

MOVE!

Seize the moment to take responsibility and move toward a better outcome. Even if it’s just an inch upward, you gotta make the monumental move to stand back up. Louis L’Amour said it well, “Victory is won not in miles but in inches. Win a little now, hold your ground, and later, win a little more.”

It’s what we do when we’re down that counts. This is the critical moment. Anyone can stand strong when the game of life is going our way. But who are we when the pain comes? When it isn’t going as planned and we’re knocked repeatedly on our butt?

When you find yourself on the mat,  continue to dream big and gather yourself to stand back up. You really can. Champions do it all the time. So can you.

My next post will cover critical tactics from the world of fighting to help us prepare and handle those situations like a champion. Don’t miss it.

image by Stefan Tell

Or Do They?

Life has a way of knocking the air out of us. Doubling us over and blurring our vision. We’re cruising along at a comfortable pace then WHAM! Life delivers a Chuck Liddell punch and we’re knocked on our ass.

We find ourselves dazed, wondering what just happened, and struggling to see clearly. Suddenly we’ve lost our bearings. Our equilibrium is off. Yesterday seemed so sure but today delivered a concussion and your head is spinning with what-ifs and whys.

Is This Really What I Signed Up For?

One minute we’re on top of our game, the next we’re injured. The “sure thing” fell apart. That business loan didn’t pan out. Promises were broken. A partner left. SLAM! We’re on the mat and everything is blurry. Now what?

The easy thing to do is nothing. Stay down. Stay put. Bitch and moan. Quit. Tap out.
OR
You can fight like hell. Stand up. But don’t you dare give up! You deserve better.

The Champion vs The Chump

At that critical moment we have 2 competing voices inside – the champion and the chump. The champion just got the snot knocked out of him so his voice is barely audible. The chump is a coward. His heart wasn’t in it to begin with. In fact, the only time he speaks up is to warn us how dangerous or impossible something is. Once he sees our inner champion down, he seizes the opportunity to cue the violin and ask, “Why are you doing this anyway? Why don’t you just quit? No one would blame you. After all, you’re hurt. Right?” Recognize that guy? That’s  the chump.

In This Corner… The Chump

The chump only wants the easy fight, the sure thing, the paved road, or a fixed bet. Sure we all want to lesson our chance of loss and increase our odds of winning. This is different. I’m talking about selling out, staying home, and playing it safe. The chump wants it all delivered to him, paid in full, sans effort or hardship. Sorry, but life doesn’t work that way and life isn’t fair. My dad told me so. My dad was a smart man.

Never Count a Champion Out Just Because He’s Down

Extreme sports, like Mixed Martial Arts, stir up something primitive within us where we’re forced to either stand and fight or lie down and die. The same is true of any dream. Sooner or later we’re confronted with the question, “Just how badly do you want it?” Our dreams will force the choice.  Are you going to stand up? Or just rollover and tap out?

What will you do? Your dreams wanna’ know.

We’ll talk more about champion methods for dealing with the blows that life deals us in an upcoming post. Stay tuned and pass this along.