As I write this entry, most of the world is living in isolation due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Yet, while the pandemic has been devastating in many ways, I urge you to turn a negative into a positive by working on something that you’ve neglected before. For instance, I recently posted a video of several hand-eye coordination exercises. I’ve long stressed the benefits of continually challenging hand-eye coordination. That’s not exactly why I shared the video though. My goal was to simply highlight something different from the norm.
Comfort Zones
Before I continue, I’ll share the brief sampling of exercises. Such work can be beneficial for athletes and doesn’t require special equipment. Within the clip, you’ll see the following:
- Racquetballs
- Juggling balls
- Tennis balls
- Homemade reflex ball (tutorial here)
- Jump rope
- Homemade speed bag platform
View this post on Instagram
Beyond Hand-Eye Coordination
As an old saying suggests, if you’re going through hell, keep going. With that in mind, perhaps you can use this time to target a skill that you wanted to develop before, but never got around to doing. We are all stuck in this pandemic together. I wish I could make it go away tomorrow, but no one knows how long it will last. Thus, why not use the time to learn something new or improve a specific skill. Naturally, it doesn’t need to be hand-eye coordination. It could be anything from reading more to learning a new language. Just try to nail something down so when this is all said and done, you are better because of it.
My Own Example
As a young boxer, I suffered from repeated injuries to my right hand. I had numerous fractures which eventually forced me to transition from fighting to coaching. One thing I learned during those setbacks though was to always make the most of the situation. For instance, my left hand improved considerably because I was unable to use my right hand. Living in a cast for so long, I had no option but to improve my left hand.
And while I’m not comparing my broken hands to a worldwide pandemic, the mindset that I developed during those times remains beneficial today. Feeling bad about what’s happened to you (or the rest of the world) doesn’t change the outcome. Instead, make something better because of the situation. Your future self will thank you.
Final Thoughts
Eventually, we’ll all look back at the time when our cities were locked down and we were forced to live in isolation. When that time comes, what will you remember the most? Will it be the time you spent checking the news every hour to see if anything had changed? Or will it be the time you spent harnessing a new skill?
Before you answer that question, keep your future self in mind. What would he or she prefer? Decide for yourself, and then commit to your decision.
Related Entries:
+++++
“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” – Kobe Bryant
Thank you Ross for always being a beacon of inspiration and motivation. I’m sure I speak for the majority of your followers when I say we all needed this post / article during these uncertain times. Take care coach!
Thanks Dave, and stay safe!
Ross, been a long time reader of your site and books. Recently noticed that the forum disappeared from the site. Do you have any plans to bring it back?
Hi Dean, unfortunately I had to close the forum. I just don’t have the time or resources to continue maintaining it, and the hosting fees were only getting higher. I’m exploring options for something similar such as a Facebook group to correspond with my Facebook page where people can post questions, communicate, etc. I’ll see what I can do. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Ross, thanks for the response! That’s kind of what I guessed was the case, was just wondering if there were plans to bring them back. Hopefully the facebook thing works out. And no need to apologize! You provide so much excellent content and knowledge for free/next to free on this site through your books, posts, and response to comments I think we’ll survive without the old forums.
Maybe you can start a Discord Server, it’s free to set up. It can be moderated with bots and dedicated community guys you trust and can pick.
This is a very generous offer. I had a hard copy several years ago.However I lent it to someone and as is often the case I never saw it again! They obviously realised how good it was!
Anyway I will go for it with this copy. I am 55 now so may adapt some of the workouts- for example I may halve the numbers on EIT 1!!!! Still I am ready for the challenge.
Thanks Ross- ” Any genuine philosophy leads to action”