#158 Training like an Anime character (to succeed)

You are met with a greater challenge than before.  His power levels are over 9000, and his fist are hard as steel.  His body is the peak of perfection, and his fighting ability is unmatched.  If you fight him now, you will most definitely lose.  Before you is the greatest opponent you have faced.  You ready yourself, dropping down into a deep stance.  All that you have trained for has led you to this moment.

I've been a fan of Anime/Manga for years, especially Shonen types such as Dragon Ball Z, Grappler Baki, Naruto, Fist of the Northstar, etc.  While I am a big fan of the fast paced, hyper kinetic action that shonen tends to deliver, I think what draws me to it the most, is the willingness that the characters have to train to improve themselves.

Inspite of handicaps or abilities, even the greatest and most powerful characters will always train to become better, and that is something that resonates with me and should resonate with you.  Why?  Because it is through training and practice that we become better at what we do.  We should always be willing to push ourselves harder.

I'm not referring to physical training, though that is a part of being better able to wield your blade.

We all aspire for different levels of greatness in what ever we do, but there comes a point where our desire outweighs our the level of our skills.  This doesn't mean we can't succeed at what we do.  It means we have to ramp it up a notch and push harder to attain that level.  Never should we be complacent.

One of my favorite training sequences was Goku training at 50 x gravity while enroute to Namek.  His desire was to be stronger so that he could face Vegita and defeat him in combat.  Over the course of the trip, he ended up increasing the gravity more and more.  It wasn't easy for him and the trip was long, but Goku had nothing but time.  It was Goku's reality that made him train so hard.  His opponent was a Saiya-jin and has pushed him to his limits.  I don't need to give you the whole scoop, but in short a desire was the fuel for Goku's training.

Fuel for training :)

Writing is no different.  We all would like to write the next Greatest American Novel, or write the screenplay for the next blockbuster.  Think about your current writing level and compare it to a notable movie that you would have written.

Is your writing on par?  Slightly less than?

If it is less than or on par, then you are doing well, but you need to take it to the next level.  That doesn't come instantly.  You have to write more and more, striving to improve with each step.

Comfort Zone

One of the things that people suffer from is the dreaded "Comfort Zone".  You get to a point where you feel comfortable with the way things are; so much so, that you start to neglect your training.  You justify every possible reason as to why you are ok with your current level.  This can be for several reasons.

You've made it.
You haven't made it, but you're ok with where you are at.
You're too busy, but things are generally ok.

When you have gotten to this stage as I have at many points of my life, it's time to shake things up.  This isn't to say that you have to push yourself like a Super-Saiya-jin all the time.  I'm not telling you to do 1000 push-ups or write an epic series.  What I am saying is that you should never let your comfort zone over power your will to reach the next plateau of success.

Comfort is great.  It feels good, and you can relax in that zone, but it can also be detrimental to your success.  Remember that desire that fueled your actions?  It allows for a bit of rest, Hell you can use it as a Recovery phase, but never settle into that comfort zone too much.   Eventually you will start to either look like Homer, or write like him.

The Burn Out

There comes a point when your body is fatigued.  You've pushed yourself so hard, for so long.  Physically, you are sore, mentally, you are drained.

What do you do?

Your desire has gotten you this far, but your body can only take so much and your mind is the same way.  This is a normal part of the process.  Unlike Goku, we aren't superhuman, and we don't have any Senzu beans for instant recovery.  The Burnout is something you will experience, and if you allow it to take hold, it can defeat you.  It is as much as an enemy as Freeza is to Goku or Aizen to Ichigo, but like any enemy, it can be overcome.

When you are feeling the burnout, take a rest.  Relax a bit, allow your mind and body to heal and recover, because they will.  Don't push yourself needlessly, because you will do more harm than good.

If the burnout is physical,  then take a few days off from what you've been doing.  Allow those sore parts to recover, after all that's where most of the strength building takes place.

If the burnout is mental/creative; do the same thing.  Take a rest from it.  It's not going anywhere.  Listen to some music, play a videogame, read a book.  I listed some tips on dealing with Writers Block.  Check them out.

The point is always to recover with the next phase in mind.

Hyper Drive

One does not simply walk into Mordor, or so the meme goes.  What this means is that one does not simply go from recovery into hyper drive.  It has to be thorougly planned out, slow and methodical and yet building up to it.  The same applies to this phase.

Start out slow, so that you can test your limits, seeing how much you can take and how much you can give, and then slowly start to push yourself further each time.  I have a Star Wars reference for this, but I've already used LOTR and The Simpsons, so I'll keep it fresh.

For writing start off with a new project, something different than what you have been writing.  Start with the story and the main characters.  Once those things have taken shape, move on to an outline.  Keep pushing yourself forward, adding new and more interesting ideas to the project.  Once you have them, start working on a chapter, one at a time.

For physical health; same rules apply.  With your previous limits still in mind, think about what you wish to accomplish.  If you could only lift a 20lb weight 15x's, then go for 20x20.  Always keep in mind of your limits and your level of health.  If you can't do a whole 20x20, use smaller numbers.  The goal is to increase your output to overcome your limits.

Drink plenty of water, eat lots of fruits and vegetables and most of all get lots of rest.

Always keep in mind that your goal is to exceed your limits.  Keep at it, and you will reach new heights that you could not have imagined.