Two bulls sat on a hill overlooking a large field filled with cows grazing. The younger one looked to the older and said, "let's run down the hill and fuck a cow!" The older, wiser bull smiled at his young friend and said, "no, let's walk and fuck them all."
Now, this may sound like just a joke you tell in the locker room, but there are lessons to be learned—the lessons of Patience and Drive.
Here in the Blue Collar Nation, we understand the need for both of these things. In order to figure out how to obtain patience, we must figure out what patience is.
Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines being patient as:
1 : bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint.
2: manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain.
3: not hasty or impetuous.
4: steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.
So, with these definitions in mind, we can apply them not only to lifting and it's many obstacles, but also to life as well. To be patient and to have patience means to shoulder life's pains and stresses. To be able to overcome adversity and obstacles. To withstand strain and stress. To not be provoked into dumb situations. And to be willing to take your time and not be impatient.
I think that this is one of the biggest and best qualities to have. If you do not have it, then you need to figure out how to learn it. It is one of the major tools to get ahead in life. If you are not patient with your training, you will turn into a program nomad. You'll wander from program to program, looking for "the one," never once stopping to give one of them more than a three-week chance. Even professionals, who are trying something different or new, give a program a few months at the very least. This is because these things take time. It often takes some time for your body to adjust to a program—to adjust from whatever you were running beforehand. Even new assistance exercises may need to be included in several training cycles before you start to reap the rewards. These are things that magazines and Internet trainers won't tell you. They will have you believe that you can increase your bench "X" amount of weight in only four weeks, but that is just not true. (Actually, it could happen briefly for a beginner, but for the vast majority of us, it just won't happen). This carries over to life as well, and this is where your main focus should be.
Patience is everything and can quickly be your downfall if you lose it. Most things in life do not happen all at once. They take time, and in a lot of cases, a lot of time. It can take a while to perfect what you want to perfect, but the key is to not give up...to DRIVE on.
Drive is defined as:
1: To carry or go through energetically
2: To repulse, remove, or cause to go by force, authority, or influence.
3: To set or keep in motion or operation
It is easy to see why you need both to succeed in anything. Patience will get you so far, but when you need that extra push, that is where DRIVE and being DRIVEN comes into play. Having the patience to stand in the rain and the ability to walk out of it (drive) are two different things. Being driven is about pushing forward and not staying stagnate. You can withstand tough times, but can you move past them? You've jumped some hurdles, but can you finish the race? When you make the decision to not get beat down by life anymore and kick the shit out of it, you still need to have the drive to get through it and overcome. Yes, you are letting the program take its time and running it through its paces, but are you putting forth one hundred percent every time? Do you work through strains and cramps? Do the weights crush you every time, or do you get under the bar and give it everything you've got? These are all questions to ponder when faced with adversity. Patience is only as good as the amount of drive you have to succeed.
In the opening story, the younger bull doesn't realize that if he takes his time with things, he can accomplish much more. He is young and lacking experience. He just wants to go full bore at whatever life has to offer, without stopping to think it through. He has the drive but no patience. The older, more experienced bull knows that if you take your time, do things right, and see things through, you can accomplish much greater things. He has the patience and drive to get it done. He has been in the young bull's position and knows the setbacks and failures to come. His years of living have taught him that only patience will allow him to continue with his drive.
Patience in the weight room can be taught from more experienced, veteran lifters. Rookie lifters are often impatient and want immediate results, and they fail to realize that lifting, much like life, is a lifelong adventure full of ups and downs. I am by no means a veteran lifter, maybe only an intermediate lifter, but I have learned very quickly from experienced lifters (those I know and from reading articles and training logs posted here on elitefts™) that this is something that comes with time.
In my first year of true training I also learned that DRIVE is the difference between trying your best and actually being your best. It is something that comes from within. It pushes you mentally and physically past barriers and other obstacles you thought you had. Once you find that nitch and become DRIVEN, you are an unstoppable force. You will be able to accomplish things you once thought impossible. Failures and shortcomings are just learning tools to strengthen your resolve and awesomeness. Learn the PATIENCE to be DRIVEN.
