The classic “just one last round” when you’re already fatigued and class is pretty much over!

Truthfully, I was waiting for @Josh Wang to mention seed oils so I could just like his post instead of admitting this myself. 😂 But since he didn’t, I guess I’ll take the hit. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a total junk food addict. I love training and being active because it makes me feel amazing, but I think there’s also a part of me that trains so I can justify making room for the “occasional”indulgence. Junk food might not be the best thing for the body… but every now and then, it’s good for the soul, right? 😂

Why do I feel like this topic was made for me? 😂 As many of you know, I hurt my ankle competing back in June. I gave myself about a week to actually rest, but after that I was back in the gym lifting weights, helping with the kids’ classes, watching instructionals… and, naturally, online shopping for new gis. 😂 For the first few weeks, all I could think about was getting back on the mats. Honestly, being sidelined was driving me crazy. Then after about three weeks, I realized I had two choices: keep stressing about everything I couldn’t do, or accept the situation and use it as a reset. So that’s what I did. Instead of rushing back, I started focusing on recovering properly and working on all the things I usually neglect—mobility, stability, strength, and fixing little imbalances that had probably been holding me back long before I got injured. I’m still counting down the days until I’m back training, but I think this mindset has made the whole process a lot easier. Hopefully when I do get back on the mats, I’ll be healthier, more balanced, and a better athlete than I was before the injury.

Taking my response a little outside the original topic, what has helped me stay consistent is committing to a weekly training schedule that I know I can realistically maintain for years—not just a few weeks. My training used to be all over the place, depending on my motivation, how much free time I had, and what else was happening in my life. One week I’d train six days, and the next week only once. What changed was my mindset. Instead of chasing the “perfect” week, I set a realistic training goal that I could consistently stick to over the long term. Ironically, training a little less—but doing it consistently—has led to far better progress than constantly swinging between doing too much and too little.

@Claudia Smithson juggling life is definitely the biggest challenge! 6am has been a game changer for me personally!

I think this mindset applies to so much more than just jiu-jitsu—it applies to work, finances, relationships, and how we spend our time. When I was younger, I acted as if my time, energy, and other resources were almost unlimited. I approached both training and life with that mentality. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that’s simply not true. Time and energy are finite, so I’ve gradually trying to shifted my focus toward efficiency—getting the maximum return for the least amount of wasted effort. That doesn’t mean cutting corners or avoiding hard work. It means being intentional with where I invest my time and energy, and focusing on the things that produce the biggest long-term payoff.