Don’t count the days. Make the days count.

I recently had the privilege of attending an amateur boxing extravaganza as a spectator.
It was a great insight into the sport at a grassroots level. As a middle aged man who enjoys an active lifestyle, I was in my element and a little bit envious of those contenders brave & skilled enough to step into the ring.

The event was a great metaphor for the 5 areas used by fitness website https://thecurio.online to endorse personal health & wellbeing, especially for men. Each section below starts with a quote from the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali.

Performance - “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” - Some of the contenders were performing for the first time and had something to prove to the audience or themselves. Perhaps the greatest performances came from the apparent underdogs who turned the game in their favour and gained the victory.

Improvement - “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” - Listening to the coaches give their pep talks, before, during and after each bout was insightful. The foundations of the sport is continual and never ending improvement, each boxer had a lesson to takeaway whether they won or took the L.

Grit - "Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even” - It was evident from the physique, movement & technical skill of each contender that it had taken many hours of training to get to this point. The determination to get into physical condition and the courage to step into the arena was worthy of admiration. There were a couple of bouts where the medal was gained not by skill but the will to win. Grit doesn’t only apply to winners. It takes grit to lose with grace & not all contenders were able to do that, so there were one or two tantrums. It also takes grit to stay and watch the whole event when you’ve been told that your opponent hasn’t turned up and your bout is cancelled.

Comfort - “It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe.”  - One particular contender who had the home turf advantage, had a slightly loose head guard. During the bout the head guard  had to be constantly readjusted, which in my opinion contributed to the loss. Comfort is key during any physical performance and ensuring that you have the right gear is not optional, it’s essential. I also noticed a contender using a hand-held massager before their event, which probably helped to ease tension, stimulate relaxation and help them get into the zone.

Compete - “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” - It goes without saying that each contender was competing but against who? The opponent in the opposite corner, the highest or lowest version of themselves?  Regardless, it’s my assertion that the art of competing requires all of the above elements to walk away victorious, win or lose.

Every winner has failed, it is because of these failures and not succumbing to them that ultimately makes them winners.

What arena are you competing in and how have any of the above elements supported you to perform at your best?

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