You'll never be "ready", so stop putting it off

About a year ago I was having lunch with my younger brother and we were talking about children...specifically what you need to do in order to be "ready" to have kids.  Were any of us ever really ready?  Sure, you can read books and watch videos and talk to other folks who've been there and done that, but are you ever truly ready?  I don't know many folks who would say it's possible.

I get the question, or concern, a lot when it comes to training.  Folks will come and ask what they can do to get ready before they come train in my dojo.  Maybe it's just my dojo (I hope not), but it doesn't matter how in-shape or out-of-shape you are...it's going to be tough.  Some days are more physically taxing, while others tend to strain the mind, but it's always going to be a challenge; regardless of where you're at in your journey.  

One Monday evening, over a decade ago, I walked into the old Rockville Dojo as an unhealthy, overweight, and out-of-shape guy.  To be clear...at that time I was over 100 pounds heavier than I am right now.  If I had waited until I was in decent shape before starting my training I would have never made it to a single class.  It was the dojo and the training and my amazing instructors that gave me the direction to begin forging a much stronger Bob that the fat guy who initially walked through the doors.  In fact, looking back, even if I had taken six months to work out and get in better shape, it probably would have been demoralizing to see how challenging the training still was.  See, if you do this right, if you find the right instructor and the right group, you'll notice that the training (especially the conditioning) is terribly challenging for everyone in the room.  

So here's the simple truth: If you've been thinking about starting some form of training, then you're ready.  You probably already know an instructor or a student that you trust.  Ask them questions.  Find out if a school you're interested in offers free trial classes...MOST of them do. 

There are exceptionally few people who are able to push themselves to the limit on their own.  A group, and a good instructor, will almost always push you to do more than you think possible.  Find the right instructor/trainer/coach and jump in with a humble attitude.  It could honestly be one of the best decisions you'll ever make.

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