Take care of yourself --> master your fundies
If you're going to last in Jiu Jitsu and in life, you have do take care of your fundamentals (or "fundies" as I like to call them) because it's a long haul. I think the in vogue term these days is "self care" ... but I prefer fundies.
What are fundies?
Fundies are the things you do to optimize your energy, your mindset, your body, your health, etc. to set you up to be able engage in life fully and strive to become the best version of yourself. Everything is connected (mind, body, and spirit) and the little things done on a daily basis add up. Taking care of my fundies have made a HUGE difference in my life. If I don't tend to my fundamentals, there's no way I can be at my best. Everyone's fundies are different ... the key is figuring out what yours are and committing to taking care of them ruthlessly? You, and your life, are worth it!
I track when I'm feeling good, crushing things, and feeling optimimal. I note it - and try to unapologetically repeat it the next day. I do everything in my power to re-create it. On most days, I don't make a decision on how I'll use my time from getting up (4:45 am) until lunch (12:30 pm). I've worked hard to "bake in" my habits / daily routines to ensure that I do what matters most first and I feel great as a default. To me, my fundies aren't optional. They are essential.
Here are my fundies in order of importance?
1. Movement / Exercise - doing at least 20 minutes of movement / exercise every day (from range of motion work to body weight workouts to Kettlebell circuits to interval training to swimming). To me these are movements and exercises outside of Jiu Jitsu.
2. Mindset + Meditation - taking 2 to 20 minutes to get my mind right and meditate (I consistently do 10 min. a day ... everyday.)
3. Creative work on my #1 purpose
4. Nutrition - eating healthy food
5. Sleep - Getting 8+ hours of sleep a day * (I'm not quite at 8+ hours a day ... but when I started working on my fundies I was consistently around 6 hours a day plus one 15 min nap. Today I'm at 7 hours + a 30 min nap. Still needs work)
I absolutely can feel when I'm CRUSHING my fundies, because I feel GOOD. It makes a world of difference ... in all aspects of my life. I'm a better coach, a better athlete, a better communicator, a better husband, a better creator, and a better person. (You get the picture.)
I try to never miss a fundie ... and certainly not for more than 1 day. If I miss miss it once, I make it top priority the next day to get back on track. I have so much momentum now with my fundies, missing a day simply isn't an option (accept in very extreme cases). It's the foundation of being an optimal person, learner, athlete, contributor, etc.
As I've gotten better and better at completing my fundies, my training on the mat, my coaching, and how my body feels over-all have dramatically improved. It's not a coincidence ... by taking care of this fundamental aspects of my life, I'm able to flourish in the areas that are important to me.
Warning: fundies aren't sexy or glamous ... that's why so many people overlook them or see them as unnecessary. But that's the Jedi mind trick ... they are so basic and simple that they often times get dropped for more "important" things or other distractions in life. However, don't be fooled. You don't need to do your fundies to survive, but you do need to do your funies if you want to be optimal. Fundies are game changers for me.
Crush your fundies --> CRUSH life! ! !
Do you know what your fundies are? If not, get on that.
What are you doing to take care of your fundies? Are you committing to a daily plan? Are you figuring out ways to bake them in?
Keep doing ... daily ... forever! ! !
