The Best Growth Year Ever

It’s been a year since I first developed anxiety in Jiu Jitsu. The battle against anxiety was promptly followed up by a major neck injury that kept me on the sidelines (and still recovering). 

It would be easy to write this year off as terrible. Easy. Most people end the year by saying something along the lines of how terrible their year was anyway, I could easily fall in line. But it’s not true. 

This was easily one of the best years in Jiu Jitsu. I grew. A lot. I learned. A lot. I cried. A lot. (Did you know I hate crying? Ugh.) I fought with my own head-a lot. I had killer friends, mentors, and coaches guiding, helping, and pushing me along. A lot. 

Looking back, I wouldn’t trade this year for anything. Anxiety and my neck injury totally sucked, and yet, they provided growth that I don’t believe would’ve come from anything else. The growth was worth the pain and the struggle. The struggle breathed life into my mindset and my Jiu Jitsu. Weird, right? 

We always have a choice in how we view our experiences. I can view this tough year as negative and terrible, but I can also view it as helpful and impactful. Either way, the choice is mine. I am choosing the latter. 

This was a great year on the mats. My mental growth and mindset are better than they’ve ever been, and I love Jiu Jitsu more than I did before this year. How can I argue that those two events made my year anything other than incredible?