I follow a jiu jitsu coach and he sent out a piece about how patience and consistency in the practice of jiu jitsu is like a drop in a bucket.
The drop in a bucket concept goes like this – you have a leak in a pipe so you want to catch the drops in a bucket. Initially the drops are no big deal because each drop is insignificant by itself. However, over time, the drops add up to a full, overflowing bucket.
At first, in jiu jitsu, you feel like you’re getting destroyed every session. The goal is to continue showing up – being consistent, and recognize that each time you practice, it’s like a drop in a big bucket in your journey and progression.
Over time, those sessions that sucked or seemed insignificant added up to something very significant. Now you’re incorporating techniques and skills with a sense of flow and reactiveness you thought was impossible weeks, months, or years ago.
Strength training sessions can also be like drops in the bucket.
You do want your bucket to overflow at some point so that you can progress to the next skill, strength standard, increased weight or personal challenge.
The more full your bucket gets, the more capable you are at doing the activities you love outside of the gym.
Now, the bucket only fills if you are consistently showing up.
As an example, a newer member in our TEAM small group training program had achieved our first squat strength standard by performing 3 sets of 10 reps with 24kg in the Goblet Squat while demonstrating exceptional technique. It took him a few weeks to get there by being consistent, open to cueing, and all that earned him the opportunity to progress to Double Kettlebell Front Squats.
We started off with a pair of 12kg kettlebells, the same weight as one 24kg bell, so that he could successfully learn the execution of the Double Kettlebell Clean which is really important with kettlebell Front Squats.
He nailed it the 12s and moved up to a pair of 16kgs, a weight that seemed appropriate to begin practicing with this week.
Well, this morning we had a full session of 12 members ready to work, the energy was high and maybe he got caught up in the moment.
There he was struggling with a pair of 22kg kettlebells (a 37.5% increase over the 16kgs he was using last week). He was coachable and willing to lower the weight to dial in the technique first.
Don’t get fixated on the weight you’re using or the people you’re trying to catch up to or emulate.
Be grateful where you’re at and work to your level and abilities and practice patience consistently.
Think about that bucket that you are slowing filling with each session you show up.
A few sessions feel great and you absolutely recognize the progress you’re making.
Some sessions feel shitty and you start questioning why you are doing this.
Most sessions are drops in the bucket – nothing significant happened but you showed up and you got better without recognizing it.
The drop in the bucket is about consistency, patience and looking back and seeing how far you’ve come from where you started, not where you want to go.
Enjoy the moment.
You’re doing something a lot of people won’t even put the time, energy, investment or sacrifice in to improve their quality of life.
You’re doing it one drop at a time.