THE ABCs OF OVERCOMING WEAKNESS

As we progress through our training and take more ownership of our performance and our lives, the holes in our game become more apparent. Every individual will have at least one or more areas where they lack capacity and struggle to perform. These areas are more commonly (and sometimes unhelpfully) referred to as “weaknesses”. Be mindful that weaknesses transcend the physical or athletic realm and appear in all aspects of our lives.

Let’s face it – we’re never going to be absolute ninjas at everything. Even the most all-rounded men and women out there have chinks in their armor too. What sets them apart and eventually makes them successful is their approach towards addressing their weaknesses.

There are many specific techniques available to deal with equally specific weaknesses across the different areas of life. We believe that the key tenets in ensuring success with any of these methods are Attitude, Backing and Consistency.

Attitude

“Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character” – Albert Einstein

Don’t have muscle ups? Choosing not to practice them (yes, it is a choice) because your are worried about what people will think if they see you fail (or flail) on the rings will NEVER get you muscle ups. Reframe your mindset and get the right attitude towards dealing with your weaknesses.

Adopting the right attitude towards your weaknesses is crucial. Acknowledge your deficits and shortcomings instead of avoiding them. Listen carefully to your internal dialogue and call yourself out on the excuses you have given yourself. Choose to face your weaknesses head on and challenge yourself. Stop devaluing the power of your will.

Backing

Identify your sources of support and the resources available to help you along your way. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Backing is important to spur you along when the going gets tough and you need to keep going.

Know that it isn’t going to be smooth sailing and sometimes, having someone to commiserate with you while you lament endlessly about your lack of double-unders in spite of your countless hours of practice might just be your undoing. Sometimes, supporting each other can inadvertently become supporting the status quo instead of supporting progress. Sometimes, saying “it’s okay, you’ve already come so far” ends up becoming as far as you will ever get. Sometimes, you just need a good kick in the backside from someone who truly cares.

Surround yourself with the right kind of people and find strength in your community. Get the right kind of backing to help keep your attitude in line with your goals and keep you on the right track.

Consistency

No one got better at something they weren’t good at without being consistent with their practice. Even with the appropriate attitude and sufficient backing, inconsistent practice will surely yield inconsistent results.

Staying abreast of every new diet and knowing the exact nutritional composition of 1 cup of sweet potatoes will not get you where you want to be if you only eat in line with your nutritional goals 5 times in a year. If your weakness is adhering to your nutritional goals and you find yourself going on numerous consecutive “paleo challenges” with your buddies without any real results, maybe you should have a honest look at how consistent your actions are with your goals.

Having a diary or some form of log can help keep you consistent and accountable to yourself. Review your efforts regularly to see if you’ve fallen short in terms of consistency. Stay focused and consistent and your efforts will pay off.

We hope that these ABCs will help you surmount your weaknesses and equip you with a simple framework to ensuring success. If you’ve found this particularly useful or have other ways of dealing with your weaknesses, drop us a comment! We’d love to hear from you!