Alright, let me tell you about something I’ve been trying out lately, kind of sparked by watching Max Holloway do his thing over the years. It’s not about fighting or anything, just about getting your head right when things feel tough.
So, I was in a bit of a slump, you know? Work felt like pushing a rock uphill, personal projects stalled out, just feeling generally ‘meh’. Everything felt like a massive effort and honestly, I was getting pretty down about not making progress. Felt like I hit a wall, maybe even took a couple of steps back.
Getting Off the Mat
Then I got to thinking about guys like Holloway. You see him go out there, sometimes he wins big, sometimes he loses rough. I remember reading about his recent fight, a tough knockout loss, apparently the first one like that for him. And yeah, that’s gotta sting, especially after such a long career of being known for his chin. But the thing with him, and guys like him, is they always seem to come back. It’s not just about the flashy wins, it’s about the getting back up part. He calls it the ‘Blessed Era’, right? Taking the good with the bad.
It kinda clicked for me. It’s easy to be motivated when you’re winning, when everything’s going your way. But what about when you get knocked down, literally or figuratively? That’s the real test. Sitting around feeling sorry for myself wasn’t changing anything.
My Little ‘Volume Punching’ Practice
So, I decided I needed to build that ‘get back up’ muscle myself. I didn’t suddenly become Mr. Motivation overnight, nothing like that. It was way simpler. I started focusing on just showing up, consistently, inspired by his kind of relentless pressure in the cage. Not huge, crazy goals, just small stuff, every single day.
Here’s what I actually did:
- Tiny Habits: Instead of saying “I’ll finish this big project,” I broke it down. Like, “I’ll work on it for just 25 minutes today.” No excuses. Set a timer, do the work. Even if it felt pointless some days.
- Track the Effort, Not Just Results: I got a simple notebook. Each day I completed my small task (the 25 mins, or maybe a specific small workout), I just put a checkmark. Seeing the chain of checkmarks grow felt way better than staring at an unfinished mountain. It was about the consistency, the ‘volume’ of showing up.
- Acknowledge the ‘Meh’ Days: Some days still sucked. I didn’t pretend they didn’t. But I still tried to get that checkmark. Even a tiny bit of effort felt like a small win, like landing one jab even when you’re tired.
It sounds basic, I know. But thinking about Holloway’s whole career – the ups, the downs, the incredible pace he keeps, and that attitude of just keeping on – it weirdly helped. It wasn’t about becoming a champion fighter; it was about borrowing that mindset for my own little battles.
It’s been a few weeks now. Am I suddenly super successful? Nah. But am I out of that slump? Yeah, mostly. I feel like I’m moving forward again, even if it’s slow. Just focusing on putting in the reps, day after day. It’s about the process, the grind. And honestly, just getting things done, even small things, consistently, feels pretty good. It’s my own little version of staying in the fight.
