The Difference Between Professional and Amateur
Today I'm rushing to get to training.
The phantom of the day’s work is still back of mind as I fumble with my unhelpful hand wraps. They haven’t been pre-rolled so It's like trying to wrangle a wrinkled snake that gets more wrinkled as I wrangle - hideous.
I spring toward the mats and barely avoid committing the cardinal sin that applies in all gyms; no shoes! ‘I was almost on the coaches shit list for eternity’ - not an appealing thought. No time for a warm-up today, straight into sparring….
I’m feeling a little anxious.
Today I’ve made time to prepare before training.
I'm reviewing my notes from my last training session;
'4/8 breathing between rounds’
‘Balance and composure during exchanges’
‘The better fighter is the better mover’
I spend 15 minutes meditating.
I’m cruising to the soundtrack of Harlem’s Finest (Big L), on my way to the gym. The gym is quiet and almost empty. I begin methodically applying my (rolled) wraps, making sure to get them ‘just so’ - no annoying creases under the knuckles. With a full 30 minutes to go before the session begins; I’ve got time to warm-up, skip and shadow. Getting down to business before business.
I’m calm and eager.
Hugh Jackman reserves an entire day to himself to prepare for a Broadway performance. From wake ‘til stage lights, he’s performing a ritual that provides the confidence and mind state needed to do what he does consistently.
“I consider myself a solid intermediate surfer” says the YouTube surf coach. “I think what separates me from getting into more of an advanced (level) is just my consistency. I still have surfs where I’m like ‘what the $#&%! am I doing? Have I ever surfed before?’ Then I have other surfs where my friends will see me and say ‘Holy sh*t! I didn’t know you could do that!”
This speaks to me.
In various contexts I’ve been (and been witness to) a professional acting like an amateur and an amateur acting like a professional.
Acting like an amateur: sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. It could go either way…
Acting like a professional: it almost always works out.
You don’t have to be a professional to reap the rewards of acting like one.
Be your EPIC
We out. 🙇
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