"Just keep showing up. Just keep putting in the work."

These BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) mats have replaced coffee at 6am for a while now. This quote has been an important coaching lesson.

It has been slow growth.

It has been painful.

It has been frustrating.

It has been amazing.

It takes a person training 3-4 times a week about 10 years to get to black belt in BJJ. I'm on the 15-20 year plan. 😅

My coach has repeated this over and over. You see, all the instruction in the world can't replace time on the mat. I have to consistently put the instruction to the test otherwise there will be no fruit. There has to be a struggle for skills to mature.

This is also true in developing others. Too often, people aren't emotionally and mentally ready to put in the effort it takes to grow. All of us know this conceptually, but do you know this in your gut? Knowing this in your gut creates a fire to get through the challenges and pain. You develop a real grit, the kind of grit that makes progress.

This quote isn't about showing up to a workplace. But showing up every day to push yourself. It's about having a resolve to be 1% better each day. There's no shortcut. There's no easy button for personal growth.

So, remind and encourage those you lead. Remind them that they are on their own journey. Remind them to "Just keep showing up. Just keep putting in the work."