You Do What You Train to Do

This was a realization I had in the realm of martial arts, but it didn't take long for me to realize that it applies to everything. It seems like such common sense, but it is amazing how often it is ignored. People usually think that they can do things that are similar to what they train to do.

In martial arts, people think that if they train to kick through a board, then they will be able to break a person's ribs just as easily. The problem is that when you fight a person, they have this tendency to fight back. All of a sudden, that board is bouncing around, blocking your kicks, and punching you in the face, and you have zero experience in dealing with this.

Writing is the same thing, only the bruises aren't physical. Let's take this blog, for example. I do not have a large number of readers. If I skipped a day of updates, few people would notice. If I skipped a week, I bet I could still get away with it. I may not be punished by others, but I have trained my body to not write. The next day, it will be easier to not write. It will also be harder to start writing.

If you write at the same time every day, you will get in the habit of writing. When the time comes, you will feel bad or awkward if you aren't writing. From this blog, I have also found that this habit of writing also becomes a habit of thinking. In the writing of a single post, it gives me the thoughts for two or three more. If I didn't write regularly, I wouldn't think regularly.

Now, this isn't to say I wouldn't think, but it wouldn't happen as much. I always get thoughts throughout the day. It may be a combination of words I like (because of sounds or meaning), a concept that intrigues me, or a quote that seems worth investigating. The problem is that as easy as they come, they go. I have lost countless thoughts that I will never have again. So I got in the habit to write them down. I trained myself to take paper and pen with me. If not, I write it where I can or I type it on my phone, whatever needs to be done to keep that thought for the future.

The main thing to remember is the title. Train yourself to do exactly what you want to do, not an approximation. If you train to pull your punches, you will pull your punches when you shouldn't because you're used to it. If you train to write sometimes, you will only write sometimes. If you train to write rough drafts and stop, your work will never be better than a rough draft.