Getting Back On The Horse
Getting back on the horse is one of the most valuable lessons I’ve taken away from this entire project. And no, I don’t mean literally getting back on a horse. I’m talking about the concept that we should adopt when our discipline slips. Let me give you a few examples of how you can use this principle when you face inevitable hiccups in whatever you are trying to achieve.
I’ve recently gone about five days without doing any Japanese. Shock horror. Well, this is actually quite rare as I’m pretty good at studying as close to every day as possible. The problem is, it’s been five days off and I could easily let this stretch to more. I LOVE learning Japanese and it’s one of my favourite hobbies but as I sit here and write this, I could easily have a massive break from studying. It’s a hard language and progress is slow. It’s easy for me to let it slip if I’m not vigilant with myself. My mind wants to take the easy option. This is normal.
I can see how easy it would be for me to let those five days turn to ten. Then from ten days to a month is not a stretch at all. Before I know it, a year could go by without me doing any Japanese. It’s not that I would want this to happen (definitely not) but I can see how easy it would be for me to just skip a few sessions and lose motivation. I’m absolutely determined to not let this happen, so therefore, I must get back on the horse (yes the metaphorical horse). It’s important to acknowledge this mental resistance so that it can be overcome.
I know I’ve had a few days without studying but I must overlook any setbacks and throw myself into learning the language again. However, I can literally feel the pull towards procrastination and laziness. It looks so comfortable over there and it isn’t filled with thousands of tiny kanji to remember. The horse is walking away from me and I must chase it down and saddle up.
This concept can be applied to so many areas in my life: Running, reading, writing, diet, meditating etc. I often find that when my self-discipline slips, which it does (I’m human after all), I can get frustrated. It’s at this moment that I have to lean back into the important areas in my life and find my discipline again. After a few days, it will come back and I’ll be glad that I’ve managed to overcome a hurdle.
These hurdles are constants and I feel it’s really important to become conscious of them. So many people don’t commit to things and wonder why they aren’t progressing. As a guitar teacher, I’ve seen this attitude far too many times. It’s more common than those who commit to the challenges they face. Commitment seems to be a big deal for a lot of people. I think it’s easier if you flip this around and decide that you won’t give up. Yes, you might have let your self-discipline slip, but don’t let this lead to you giving up. Never give up! Unless, of course, it’s not important to you. Why are you doing it then?
The next time you feel something slipping in your life that is important to you (diet, exercise, a hobby, friend etc) make sure that you get back on the horse. Fight for the things in your life that you care about and don’t let little hiccups be the end of something brilliant. Focus on the bigger picture and remember that persistence is a super-power.
I know what you’re thinking… Where does this horse metaphor come from anyway? Let me explain. The advice to those who fall off a horse is to get back on the horse as soon as possible. Falling off a horse is terrifying, so to get over this fear, you need to stare it in the face and get straight back on that horse. If you don’t get back on the horse, you can easily end up hanging up your jodhpurs and helmets. You may never ride again as the fear builds up and becomes too much to handle. It’s then easier to never get on another horse than face this overwhelming fear.
This is also true for procrastination and can cause us to quit our hobbies. If we haven’t done something for a while, it’s easy for our minds to trick us into thinking that we don’t need it back in our lives. Well, ask yourself if you’re giving up because you really want to or because it just crumbled and faded because you weren’t disciplined. Fight for the hobbies and goals in your life and I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to put your energy into. There will be bumps in the road but as long as you get back on the horse, you’ll be moving in the right direction.
“People overestimate what they can achieve in a year but underestimate what they can achieve in a decade. ”