Sometimes when starting a journey, the task ahead looks daunting, long and hard – sometimes impossible.

I remember starting at the gym, not being able to do a single dip without assistance. The owner of the gym saw me struggling, and advised me to start just by doing very shallow dips, even though it seemed silly and insignificant, and gradually increasing the depth. I can’t remember how long it took me, but I ended up being able to easily do 10 full dips, and not long after that, I had 10 kilos hanging from my waist while doing 10 full dips. If I’d kept trying to do full dips, I’d probably have kept failing and given up. Using this incremental approach seemed too easy!

With the right advice, an unsurmountable task can be broken down into small incremental steps – a little knowledge can go a long way to making a journey successful – whether it be losing weight, getting fit or grading in a martial art.

For an example, have a look at the “Evolution of Pullups” video. Doing a pull up is hard – especially if you are not strong or fit. This video shows you a series of exercises you can progress through to build up to being able to do pull ups.

So seek out that knowledge, and keep taking those steps. As Confucius said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

References

• Dips at Wikipedia
• Dips at Bodybuilding.com
• Evolution of Pullups

Sylvester Stallones biography is a fantastic story. Born into financial and emotional hardship, he believed in himself and turned down serious money at a time when he was mostly broke. United Artists wanted his Rocky script, but also wanted the Rocky character to be played by an established celebrity. Turning down serious money must have been hard – but insisting on playing Rocky himself, taking minimum wage, and getting a cut from the box office really paid off.

By the way, if you didn’t already realise, Sylvester does more than just appear in front of the camera – his many credits include directing, producing, writing as well as acting. On top of his career, we shouldn’t overlook his physical achievements – he has built a body to be envious of, which he attributes not to genetics but hard work.

Incredibly inspiring achievements considering his less than encouraging beginnings. Don’t let hardship hold you back from dreaming, and work hard to make it happen!

Sylvester Stallone resources

• Extensive biography at Tiscali Film
• Wikipedia
• IMDB
• Amazon