I got my first stripe last week.
When you have been going to class for long enough, you get a stripe on your belt. It designates experience.
When we line up in class, we line up in belt order: black, brown, purple, blue, white. Within each belt color, there are stripes to distinguish one person from another in the same belt color.
Other than ordering us, the stripes don't mean much in terms of jiu jitsu ability. They tell everyone how long you’ve been showing up for class. There isn't a test to get the next stripe.
They are a certificate of participation.
As I have said before, I am not chasing colors and stripes in jiu jitsu. It's not about telling people my level of experience. I'm not judging myself against other people's abilities.
But I was proud of the first stripe.
Proud because it says I have been showing up.
When I started going to class, my biggest fear was I would go a few times and then get busy doing other things. I would go off and on but not consistently enough to get better.
I've know from my past experiences, consistency is the key to getting better at everything.
Consistently going to Toastmasters makes me better at public speaking.
Consistently going to the gym makes me stronger.
Consistently showing up to work, not just physically but mentally, makes a difference in your career over time.
Consistently connecting with people grows your network and creates opportunities.
It strikes me that what we consistently do is what we prioritize in our lives.
The famous Aristotle quote is: "We are what we consistently do." He goes on to talk about excellence being a habit, but let's just stop at, "We are what we consistently do."
We aren't just what we do, but we are what we “consistently” do. I wish I knew Greek so I could find out what the actual Greek word was and how it translates to the word "consistently."
What we are.
I think a better way to say that is “what we value.”
What we prioritize.
We consistently do what we prioritize. Do you consistently show up for dinner with your family? You can say that family is your priority, but do you consistently show up for dinner?
You can say that fitness is a priority, but do you consistently show up to the gym?
You can say that learning is a priority, but do you consistently read, write, or show up for the class you signed up for?
If you don't, it's OK. You’re not a bad person. You haven't failed. In fact, you've succeeded in defining your priorities.
Whether you like your priorities or not is for you to decide.
Is it hard to be consistent?
Yes. It’s very hard, especially if you’re doing something new and uncomfortable.
Which is why this one stripe actually means something to me.
It would have been easy to try a few jiu jitsu classes and then stop going.
It would have been easy to be inconsistent. It's uncomfortable when you start jiu jitsu. You feel awkward. You don't know anything. It's humbling.
There is nothing about it that is comfortable.
But that's why I go.
Part of what I want to work on in my life is getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
Being uncomfortable is where you get real feedback both good and bad.
Being uncomfortable is where you learn and where you grow.
And getting one stripe shows I was able to be uncomfortable enough times to start to learn and grow.
I still know next to nothing about jiu jitsu itself.
But I do know I can show up consistently.
I do know I can get comfortable being uncomfortable.
I do know this thing is a priority for me.
I know all this because of one little stripe on my white belt.