26 A- Celebrating Failure
1. My Failure
I'm sure it comes to as no shock to anyone that's read my past posts that I have a passion for fitness. One of the things I have been trying, well maybe not trying but have always wanted, to accomplish is a press handstand. This has been something I have tried for years, but it wasn't until around the start of the semester that I really started trying. Going into this process I couldn't even do a handstand, so I'm not sure why I thought this was going to be easy but it was not. I had no idea what I was doing or really where to begin. I tried some things I thought would work to master my handstand and the flexibility aspects. I was doing more yoga, more stretching, and felt confident that my training at the gym had given me the straight to do this. Well... it didn't. I wasn't able to do a simple handstand, let alone a press handstand. After a few months of what I thought was the proper, and consistent, training for this I was essentially in the exact same position from when I started. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I pride myself in being able to push myself to do things, especially when it comes to my fitness journey. So not being able to do even the basic version of my goal, after training for it for so long, was kind of a slap in the face.
2. What I Learned
One of the biggest things I learned was that a lot of goals are going to be much harder than you anticipate, and also, handstands are hard. Just training in the gym and getting stronger is not the only skill needed to be able to do this. There is so much more that goes into this, and the proper training for it is important. Luckily, I found a trained professional who has an 8 week handstand and press guide that I am now following. This guide not only provides me with the correct things to do, but shows me the time frame and dedication this takes. It really puts the process into perspective, that this goal was not something that is going to happen over night. It also showed me just how consistent you have to be with this. She recommends practicing a minimum of 5 days a week, and preferably everyday. This was not how often I was practicing at all, and now after 3 weeks of practicing the correct way, I can now do at least a handstand (it's not for very long but it's still something)
3. Reflect
I am someone that absolutely hates to fail. That being said, I tend to deal with it pretty well. It is frustrating yes, but I have always been able to use failure as a way to fuel my fire. Whenever I fail at something I have always tried to look back and reflect on it to see where I went wrong. I have never really let failure slow me down. I don't really fear failure, as most of the time I assume that I won't fail, but I know that if I do I can just try again. I also tend to take risks, but I do really sit down and analyze those risks before taking them. I think this class has made me look at this slightly differently though. I think as long as I have a plan for something, I should go for it. This class has embraced failure, and showed how common it is. I know how to look at failure as more of an opportunity, and not such a bad thing.
I'm sure it comes to as no shock to anyone that's read my past posts that I have a passion for fitness. One of the things I have been trying, well maybe not trying but have always wanted, to accomplish is a press handstand. This has been something I have tried for years, but it wasn't until around the start of the semester that I really started trying. Going into this process I couldn't even do a handstand, so I'm not sure why I thought this was going to be easy but it was not. I had no idea what I was doing or really where to begin. I tried some things I thought would work to master my handstand and the flexibility aspects. I was doing more yoga, more stretching, and felt confident that my training at the gym had given me the straight to do this. Well... it didn't. I wasn't able to do a simple handstand, let alone a press handstand. After a few months of what I thought was the proper, and consistent, training for this I was essentially in the exact same position from when I started. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I pride myself in being able to push myself to do things, especially when it comes to my fitness journey. So not being able to do even the basic version of my goal, after training for it for so long, was kind of a slap in the face.
2. What I Learned
One of the biggest things I learned was that a lot of goals are going to be much harder than you anticipate, and also, handstands are hard. Just training in the gym and getting stronger is not the only skill needed to be able to do this. There is so much more that goes into this, and the proper training for it is important. Luckily, I found a trained professional who has an 8 week handstand and press guide that I am now following. This guide not only provides me with the correct things to do, but shows me the time frame and dedication this takes. It really puts the process into perspective, that this goal was not something that is going to happen over night. It also showed me just how consistent you have to be with this. She recommends practicing a minimum of 5 days a week, and preferably everyday. This was not how often I was practicing at all, and now after 3 weeks of practicing the correct way, I can now do at least a handstand (it's not for very long but it's still something)
3. Reflect
I am someone that absolutely hates to fail. That being said, I tend to deal with it pretty well. It is frustrating yes, but I have always been able to use failure as a way to fuel my fire. Whenever I fail at something I have always tried to look back and reflect on it to see where I went wrong. I have never really let failure slow me down. I don't really fear failure, as most of the time I assume that I won't fail, but I know that if I do I can just try again. I also tend to take risks, but I do really sit down and analyze those risks before taking them. I think this class has made me look at this slightly differently though. I think as long as I have a plan for something, I should go for it. This class has embraced failure, and showed how common it is. I know how to look at failure as more of an opportunity, and not such a bad thing.
Hi Maddi,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very cool goal to try to attain! It is very awesome to see that even though you pushed yourself to try and did not succeed the first time around, you took the necessary steps to continue learning on new techniques to achieve your goal. A lot of people give up after a few tries, and I definitely believe your persistence will pay off soon!
Hey Maddi,
ReplyDeleteI really relate to your answer to the first question! Unfortunately I'm not as active as I was a few years ago, but I also used to do tumbling and handstands when I was in gymnastics. The feeling of finally being strong enough to accomplish a fitness goal you set for yourself is like no other! I think your view on failure is also an accomplishment you've worked on and now that you use it to fuel your motivations, you can keep improving until you reach your next goal