Play the long game
Since it’s the beginning of the school year, I’m sure all of you noticed that the gym is packed and it’s a pain waiting for just about every machine. I’m sure you also know in about three weeks this won’t be a problem anymore.
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Since it’s the beginning of the school year, I’m sure all of you noticed that the gym is packed and it’s a pain waiting for just about every machine. I’m sure you also know in about three weeks this won’t be a problem anymore.
Class ends and it’s 4:30. I just had a long day and the last thing I want to do is work out. I’m tired, there’s homework I have to do and I want to stop by my friends’ room and shoot the breeze. So then I think to myself: I only need to workout four days this week and I’m tired. Why not do it when I’m refreshed tomorrow? Well here’s the problem. I’m almost never feeling refreshed on a weekday and certainly not motivated on a weekend. And if we’re being honest, most of us feel very unrefreshed to say the least for most of our weekend. Now the vicious cycle begins. I lose consistency and things start to break down. Four days a week turns to three. Soon, three turns into three weeks off, and apples turn to apple crisps. Now I’m playing catch up to get back into shape. This struggle besets everyone and is very difficult to overcome. Over the years, I have tried a million methods to combat this when it comes to working out, getting homework done early or any other task I don’t want to complete in the moment. Alerts on my phone, motivational videos, written-out schedules. While some worked better than others, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon my favorite solution this summer thanks to the time constraints of my job.
In 2006, SEAL Team 3’s Task Unit Bruiser entered Ramadi with one goal in mind: drive insurgents out of the city and build up the Iraqi forces to create stability in one of the most violent areas in the world. On the first major operation, Jocko Willink commanded his SEAL forces alongside U.S. Army and Marine men and women and inexperienced Iraqi soldiers.
In my last article, I covered the overarching topic of Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s Extreme Ownership, and I wanted to follow up with another important leadership principle covered in the book. During an operation in Ramadi, Platoon Commander Leif Babin and his men commandeered a building right in the enemy’s backyard. Their goal was to disrupt the insurgents’ safe haven and weaken their force. Upon entering the building, the platoon faced immediate fire from the enemy. Fortunately, these men had the advantage of high ground, which allowed them to fight back against large numbers and assert their position. While this building had clear advantages, it also presented one glaring issue: the stairs to exit the building from the top floor were located outside the building. This meant they could not move up or down when facing fire from the enemy. It also reminded them of a frightening recent event in the area. Another marine sniper team faced similar building conditions. As they were inside the building, the enemy placed an IED on the stairs, and it detonated as they exited. Now the team had to be sure the stairway was clear before returning to base at night. After hours of fighting, darkness swept over the area and the team prepared to leave.
It’s too easy. I just stop looking at my work for a second to check my phone. A notification pops up. I click on it. After viewing my notifications, I want to put off work just a little longer. So eventually, I think to myself: why not check on some Celtics or Patriots news? Then, a minute break suddenly turns to 20 minutes of completely wasted time. I look up from my phone and realize what I’ve done. I feel disappointed and try to get back to work. Now, a question I’ve had a tough time addressing is why I continue this vicious cycle when I know exactly where it will lead me. Thanks to a podcast hosted by Canadian psychologist, Jordan Peterson, with guest Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor at the University of Stanford, I finally have discovered a scientific explanation of why we are inclined to waste time and ways to address it.
When people brought up “The Lord of the Rings” in the past, I used to laugh at the series. Why would I want to watch a bunch of tiny hobbits, dwarves and elves go on a journey over some fuss about a gold ring? It all sounded far too mythical and fantasy-like for me. In other words, I thought it was too nerdy.
I get body slammed on my face. Then next thing I know, I have been twisted into a human pretzel. My arm is being pulled one way then the other and I am hanging on for dear life until eventually all hope is lost. I tap. Take a deep breath. Then get right back to it. This has been what my Tuesday and Thursday nights have consisted of for the last month since starting at South Bend’s Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu. I have been humbled in ways I could have never imagined and have also been tapped out in more ways than I can keep count. Even with all that struggle and zero success, and by the way, I mean zero success, I am thrilled I entered the cruel, ego-crushing world that is jiu-jitsu.