Step Into the Arena

Step Into the Arena

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming.”

-Theodore Roosevelt, The Man in the Arena (excerpt)

Do you remember what it felt like to take your first Pilates class?  Mine was surprisingly easy.  I’ve always had a deep sense of mind/body connection and a natural flow to my movement.  I took to the reformer like a fish to water.  It felt like I was connecting with a long lost friend.  Somehow, the exercises just “made sense” to me.  The instructor even remarked how impressed she was with the ease of my motion and was shocked that it was my first time taking Pilates.  Don’t believe me?  Well, you shouldn’t, because I’m lying.  The truth is, I was a grand total of 136 pounds of physical awkwardness with exactly zero muscle and just 6 months after a major surgery.  I made it about 20 minutes before my teacher politely said, “I think that’s enough for today.”

Some people come to Pilates at the very beginning of a full body and life rebuild. Others come in already tremendous physical shape and quickly advance beyond where I am now after only a few months of practice.  Most are somewhere in between.  Whether you’re starting from scratch, rebuilding, or supplementing an already active physical exercise regimen, the thing everyone has in common is that they have to start.   Not get ready to start.  Not decide to start.  Actually start.  You have to actually step into the arena.

We often believe that in order to start something new we have to already be at a certain level of competence.  In some cases this is wise.  For example, if you have trouble walking more than a few steps before you get out of breath or are recovering from a major health challenge, you probably shouldn’t jump into a 50-minute group Pilates class right away.  However, “preparing to start” is usually just a form of procrastination disguised as conscientiousness.  It’s a comfy place to hide while you avoid starting.  I can speak to this from my own path to teaching.  For months after my initial teacher training, I avoided getting in front of a live class for fear of not being “ready”.  This was nothing more than my ego wanting to avoid the rocky path of finding my way as a new Pilates teacher.  When I finally broke the ice and began teaching, I still made many of the mistakes that a beginner makes, and still had to go through the growth process to correct those mistakes.  “Preparing to start” only delayed my growth and made me more nervous in the process.

You have to take the first step. Preparing doesn't count.

Here’s the truth you must accept:  Beginnings are messy.  As a beginner, you will fail often, regardless of how much you prepare, or how mature and experienced you are in other areas of your life. This isn’t a sign that you’re on the wrong track.  On the contrary, it’s a sign that you’re actually in the arena battling.  Failure is required for growth, in the same way that soreness is required to build muscle.  A thousand hours of preparing to start is worth less than a minute of actual doing.  Also, you will have to “start” over and over again on the road to mastery.  Whether you’re taking or teaching a new class, joining a studio, or just beginning a new exercise regimen, you are starting.  Preparing to do these things doesn’t count.  Until you start, you’re just sitting on the sidelines watching others take their lumps and grow stronger from it.

Don't wait until you feel confident. Don't wait for the "right" time. Step into the arena.