Do the work. This is one of those sayings that gets tossed around a lot. Do the work and results will follow. But what if you feel like you are doing the work and it’s just not paying off in the way that you expected?
Yup, that’s how I feel!
Which leads to really unpleasant questions like… am I even any good at this… do I have the skills to pull this off… did I make a huge mistake?
Whew. Really doubt triggering, motivation crippling questions!
So it shouldn’t be surprising that, just as with my career, I found myself frustrated in Capoeira. For all the potential that people would say that I have, I felt like I’ve been a slow grower. Recently, one of my favorite teachers, Instructor Potira, reached out to do some extra training with me. This extra practice has doubled my weekly routine, and the growth has been exponential in just the past couple of weeks!
Potira keeps affirming in her teaching that she used to feel less “talented” than others but she would just work that much harder, train that many more hours, and that’s how she got there. “Anybody can do it.” She always jokes, if you’re alive, then you can do it too, you just have to put in the energy. You get energy back where you put energy in. And you have to do it consistently.
And she practices what she teaches, not only inside of Capoeira, but in her outside life as well. She is a rockstar DJ in a profession dominated by males, and really climbed to the top of her game by applying the same principles of putting in that extra work and practice she needed to compete. And compete she does… in the most inspiring ways.
Do the work in theory is one thing, but experiencing it in practice is the hard evidence I didn’t know I needed to turn down the music those little doubt-devils have been rocking out to in my mind.
“The way you do anything is the way you do everything.”
This shift has lead to new, motivating questions like… am I really doing the work or are there areas where I can devote more energy to see a greater return… what possibilities lie in auditioning more, in creating new projects… hell, what if I made a foray into an entrepreneurial lifestyle to change my financial life?
Where I was preoccupied by doubts, I’m starting to get visions of possibilities.
While those little doubt-devils still dance around in my head, the music is getting noticeably softer and their dance moves lamer.
So when you find yourself wondering if you can do it… whatever “it” is… just remember that anybody can do it! You just have to figure out exactly what it takes for you to do it. And sometimes that means simply putting a little more energy toward your goals. You’d be surprised to see what monumental changes some incremental shifts might make.
What changes do you need to make to get closer to your goals? Are there areas that are lacking where devoting yourself more might make an impact? And how do ensure that you stay consistent? I’d love to hear your thoughts!