“Don’t lie to yourself, position yourself!” was said to me and several other Jiu-Jitsu practitioners by a famous Jiu-Jitsu legend, as we attended his seminar. He used this statement as a way to say, “Give true and good energy while you are training.”

What this means, plainly, is this:  Don’t give your partner anything that he/she did not earn through true positioning.

The seminar leader was not telling us to fight our partner. Rather, he was emphasizing staying true in such a way that our partner knows if he/she really has the technique right. The beautiful thing is that this message was also to the person performing the technique.

Being Untrue To Technique Should Never Be Accepted – By Us Or Our Partners…

Staying true to technique is a beautiful thing…

We should never accept something that we know is not true to technique but is instead a courteous handout from our partner simply to be nice to him or her.  This statement was an eye-opener.  Not only did it mean a lot for training in a physical martial art, but it had a deeper meaning that transcended that moment or any physical martial application.

To me, it was a philosophical life principle.

We can all relate to a time where we said we wanted accomplish something. We can also all relate to a time in which we did not complete or finish the thing that we set out to do. There could be a number of reasons why our tasks did not get done.

To be fair, sometimes it is as simple as things getting out of our control.  There are times that things happen in our lives that hinder our progress and prevent us from accomplishing our goal.

Still…what about people who never really position themselves for success?

You Must Position YourSelf For True Success!

Those who say, “I want to lose weight,” but then they don’t exercise regularly or change their eating habits aren’t properly positioned.  Those who say, “I want to quit smoking,” but don’t join a program to help them stop have failed to position themselves properly.  This list goes on and on, infinitely.

For the purpose of keeping this simple, let me use getting a black belt as an example. People come in to my school all the time and say they are ready and will do what it takes to get a black belt; however a few weeks or months later, their training sessions begin to taper.

Just to make sure nothing serious is happening, I will ask why.  Often I get, “Well, I am very busy;  I decided to join, and I wanted to try it, but…” and the reasons are varied. Believe me.

I am all for gaining new experiences and trying new things, but it’s good to understand that random experiences could interfere with our goals.  One place that this is easily witnessed is in school.

Improper Positioning Can Keep Us From Reaching Our Goals!

It’s hard to stay focused without a balanced position…

While in high school, if we take on too many projects, it directly impacts our performance.  We can often quantify our choices with the grades we earn, thus getting a reminder of what we set out to do versus what we actually did.  Outside influences like parents and teachers can also guide us back on track.

Unfortunately, when we are on our own, it is easy to get off track or never be on track.

Please try and think about this the next time you set out to do something. Be honest about where you are and what it will take to reach your goal.  After you do this, set yourself up for success by positioning your life to help you accomplish your goal!

Below are some things you can do to help you with this.

Here Are The Steps You Need To Take ToBe Well-Positioned!

Step One

Identify what you want to accomplish and write it down and hang it in a place where you will see it daily.

 

Step Two

Be truthful about where you are and what it will take to accomplish it and if you are willing to do what it takes.

 

Step Three

Position yourself to move in the direction of achieving your goal. Commit to a gym; join a quit-smoking help group; don’t take on too many projects that will shift your focus. Understand that obstacles are sure to be present but you have to stay focused.

 

Step Four

Understand that we may have moments of questioning on the way to accomplishing our goal but remind yourself of that day you made up your mind to succeed and read your daily reminder.

 

“There are enough people lying to themselves. The world needs more people who position themselves.”