Complacency Kills.

To find yourself completely satisfied with your current state in any discipline is to severely limit your potential for growth and excellence. Complacency is a highway to mediocrity and guarantee to a life of average averageness. 

Think back to the hardest class you've ever taken, whether it be 3 days ago, 3 years ago, or 30 years ago. We all remember looking over the syllabus and reviewing our options. We realized that we could work an average amount and settle for a C, work hard and get a B, or  truly commit ourselves to going above and beyond and earn an A. If all you need is a passing grade, it's hard to not settle for a C. Upon reading further, you quickly realize the jump in effort required to move from a C to a B, and the daunting leap between a B and an A. Is the B worth it? Is the A worth it?

I have seen in many lifers, myself included, an unfortunate amount of apathy toward technical perfection. Once learning the basics behind a movement or a lift (getting them a C in the "class"), all too many elect to settle. The intentional work and tireless effort required to move from a C to a B is something many don't want to invest. What these people must understand, however, is that their decision comes with a cost. 

"Acceptable" will never lead to excellence. 

"Acceptable" will never lead to mastery. 

"Acceptable" will never lead to proficiency. 

"Acceptable" means you've set up camp a thousand feet up a twenty-five thousand foot mountain and are pleased with the view.  

Is "Acceptable" wrong? Not really. But it won't get you anywhere, and it definitely won't get you ahead. "Acceptable" efforts don't require much thought - you stroll in and mindlessly move through movements and get a passing grade. In contrast, bettering yourself takes a conscious effort. It is truly a battle. It requires every ounce of energy and brain power to force your body to reach correct positions, even when it often times doesn't want to. 

Having recognized that I had grown somewhat complacent myself, I acted by reaching out and finding a coach. As a result, my thinking quickly changed from "I'm a pretty good lifter" to "I have so much to work on." Every single day I video my lifts, critique myself, then send what I think are my best efforts off to be critiqued further, and every single day I recognize my faults, no matter how minor, and how they're robbing me of power and restraining my potential. It is only in tirelessly battling that I will improve, and I fully intend to do so.

Every day you have a choice you must make: will you settle for mediocrity or will you invest in excellence? Unsheathe your sword, this one's worth the fight.