The Screamingly Obvious

“Training (it has dawned on me) must be a 100% effort.”

Yeah, I wrote that in an email. Brilliant, neh?

What did come out of it is looking at effort differently than I did in my past. “Effort” connotes sweating like a hog, breathing hard and aching muscles. But there is (or should be) a lot of other things besides just physical labor. There should be a sense of total involvement.The only way to do that is to give the conscious mind specific goals/tasks. In training, in the fight, everything.

Think about it.  The conscious mind is prone to wandering off to fantasy land or abstractions.  Without a specific task, the mind wanders and you end up being a performing monkey.  How good is what ever it is you’re doing?  About as good as a performing monkey.

Know what you’re trying to do for real.  In detail.  Understand why the hell you’re doing what you’re doing so you can try to do it better.  Do it more efficiently.

If you don’t understand it, you don’t own it.  That’s what 100% should mean.

Intent…

Intent:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) – /ɪnˈtɛnt/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciation[in-tent] Pronunciation Key –noun

1.	something that is intended; purpose; design; intention: The original intent of the committee was to raise funds.

2.	the act or fact of intending, as to do something: criminal intent.

3.	Law. the state of a person’s mind that directs his or her actions toward a specific object.

4.	meaning or significance.

You can’t have intent if you don’t know what you’re doing…

It seems obvious, don’t it? Apparently it’s taken me 38 laps around the sun to cut through the dross to “get it”. What is it, exactly, that you intent to achieve? It’s really immaterial as to what part of your life you’re talking about, the essence holds true.

Intent isn’t about your hopes and wishes…those are passive and useless. Don’t believe me? Hope for something to happen and then sit there and wait. (Screw you Obama…there is no daring in hope)

Intent isn’t abstract. “I want a million dollars” When? Over the course of your life?

Intent is like that proverbial genie from the lamp in those jokes you remember from junior high. You’d best be specific or you’ll get taken literally and I seem to remember those jokes never ended well.

Intent is not having to be careful what you wish for. Because you make it happen the way you want.

If I’m working with a patient, my Intent is to make them feel listened to, safe and that I will bring everything I have to bear to their problem. My intent is that I will tell them the truth…even if they don’t like it.

If I’m hitting, my intent is to shudder his spine every time I touch him.

If I’m rolling, my intent is to be as heavy on him as possible.

If I’m training, my intent is teach my client so they own their movements again.

I’ve got a whole lot of other things to figure out what I’m trying to do…like what I’ll be when I grow up. My short list of intents have shown me the value of a true clarity of purpose. It has an interesting uniting quality about it. It’s as if every part of you knows the mission and links up with all systems go.

I ain’t a force of nature just yet, but it’s sure fun trying.