The Next Smallest Step
Something really cool starts to happen when you take the phrase “I can’t” or “I’ll never” out of your vocabulary. For example, changing:
“I can’t do that.”
or
“I’ll never be able to do this.”
to
“Although I’m not there just yet, I’ll get there one day, one step at a time.”
Case-in-point, I want to share a story about a crazy skill I had to learn with a 2-week deadline. This might sound silly, but stay with me, because it was a turning point where I realized I could do anything I set my mind to, no matter how far off my capabilities, as long as I break it down into teeny, tiny baby steps and stay positive.
When I was competing in CrossFit at the Regional (Canadian) level, one of the competitions called for a max handstand walk on your hands. You got one shot to walk as far as you could on your hands without falling down, and that was the entire event that your score was based on.
Hearing this requirement caused my heart to sink the night I found out. I COULD NOT walk on my hands like a gymnast. I had absolutely ZERO skill. (If you’re thinking, I can’t walk on my hands, that’s crazy!!, that’s exactly how I felt when I found out.)
I never practiced the skill of handstand walking, and always felt dizzy upside down, so I avoided doing something I hated (sound familiar?). Well, with enough determination and fear of public humiliation to be the only person at the competition who couldn’t do this skill, I got to work.
First, I practiced just kicking up into a handstand against a wall.
Next, I lay down some mats for padding, and practiced kicking up into a handstand, and then coming back down onto my feet.
Then, I practiced kicking up, moving my hands forward one step, then coming back down. This involved a lot of falling to the side and wiping out.
Then, one wobbly step became two steps. Then three steps. Then 5-6 steps, with lots of falls and crashes onto the mat. I fell A LOT. My legs got giant bruises. But I was determined to not look like an incompetent idiot, so I kept at it.
In the 2 weeks that I worked at the skill, I went from 0 feet on day 1, to approx. 30 feet of handstand walking by day 10-12.
Then, came competition day. You get one shot, only one opportunity {cue Eminem music}. If you fall after you kick up, you’re out. Talk about pressure. I tried to stay relaxed, and remember what I practiced back in my home gym. I didn’t have the crash mats to fall on. Goodbye safety net. I also had a huge crowd watching.
So, with excitement and a healthy dose of nerves, I kicked up, and set a personal record of 45 feet of handstand walking in one unbroken set! [See video below.]
Had I said, “I can’t do this”, I would have been out before I even started. I’m so glad I gave myself the chance to prove my negative inner self-talk wrong, because now I know I can do ANYTHING, as long as I figure out the next small step that I am capable of, that leads me closer to my goals.
Wishing you health & happiness,
♡ Jen
Jennifer Broxterman, MSc, RD
Registered Dietitian
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