For the past year I have been training to be able to do strict bar muscle-ups. That is basically when you do an explosive pull up and then get yourself over the bar and press yourself up. It is a very technical and difficult movement that takes a lot of strength, coordination, and attention to detail. I first began the year just trying to improve my pull up strength and I was able to go from about 8 pull-ups to 14. These last couple months have been training more explosive muscle-ups and also shoulders to have the strength in my rotator cuff to rotate around the bar and then press up. Anyways I have tried and tried doing the muscle-up but as of right now I have not been able to complete it.
I have learned that everyone’s body is different, and we have to adapt and train for our bodies in specific. The general rule is if you are able to do 10 pull ups then you should be able to do a muscle-up. That was something that was hard for me to accept. I know I have the strength, but the technique is not there yet. The problem with that is that I am comparing myself to everyone else in the world, and comparisons, for the most part, lead to discouragement. The book I read by Scott Adams on how to fail at almost everything and still win big has helped me to let go of so many goals and adopt systems. Over the last couple months my training has gone from trying to get a muscle-up to just training pulling strength 3x a week. I know that if I continue to train my pulling strength 3x a week eventually I will be able to do a muscle-up. I have also learned to have fun and not be so fixed on the result, and I think that is part of having such detailed goals and not systems, you get discouraged when you don’t reach them but, in all actuality, you are still progressing.
Having been in sales I know that failure is inevitable. I have learned to view failure as an event. This allows me to analyze what happened, plan, adapt, and continue to try. In sales you get hundreds of no’s every day and you learn to view those little failures as stepping stones toward the yeses. One of my favorite quotes is from Michael Jordan, he said he never loses he only learns. That is how I try to look at failure, it is only preparation for the success that is to come. This class has definitely helped to continue this train of thought about failure. All entrepreneurs have failed and in fact most of them have failed at many endeavors before they got their big success. If anything, this class has helped me to understand that I should fail quickly and fail more often because as a wise person once said, failure is the best teacher. As I have been contemplating on this assignment, I have realized that I have not failed enough this semester. I think if I haven’t failed at something then I am not trying different things, and if I am not trying different things then how am I supposed to find that one project that will lead to success. My goal this next semester is to fail more, try different things, learn from them and continue to fail forward.
Lucas,
ReplyDeleteI just read the book you mentioned, “How to fail at almost everything and still win big”. I completed my final reading reflection on this book. I also learned a lot from the book. Systems is better than goals, was a concept that took a little to get my head wrapped around. We have always been told to set goals and for the most part we focus on the goals and not so much on a system to accomplish the goal. I have had many people teach me how to set goals, but very few would teach me how to reach the goals. I’m glad to hear that there are people, like yourself, who are striving to be better and improve yourself and who also want to help others improve themselves.
Tony
Lucas,
ReplyDeleteGreat story of how you are struggling with the muscle up and I can relate to this. I can also do 10 pull ups but I am still not able to do the muscle up. I also love how you are using Scott Adams suggestions on making a system rather than committing to a goal of getting your one muscle up. I think your system will work just stay consistent which I know you already know as someone who works out.
Hey Lucas,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this because it demonstrates your struggle with a failure and yet also shows how you have acknowledged the failure as a positive thing. It also was written in a way that makes the feelings you experienced very relatable with the readers which I believe to be very important when trying to get a point across. This problem is also similar to the idea you have had throughout the course which means to me that you have plenty of experience and knowledge on the subject.
Roberto
Hey Lucas,
ReplyDeleteI like the explain you provided and that really tells a lot about your character and your resilience. It's amazing to hear people success and failure stories and how it has shape them to the person they are today. Continue to work hard at your goals and dreams and you will eventually get it right. Overall, I am glad I read your text it has motivate me in some way.