Disruption – The Climb #575

Saturday 19^th September 2020

I’ve been thinking a lot about disruption lately and whilst it’s not exactly welcome (especially in the form it’s come) there are ways to make the best out of a bad situation.

We’ve seen massive disruption in the last 6 months, not only to the wider world but to our own lifestyles. It manifests itself in different ways: being unable to go to the gym, unable to meet friends, unable to travel.

People are struggling with this and trying to adapt. Some manage to do it, some don’t.

If I look at myself, I’ve managed to keep my writing going, but my fitness has gone to crap without the discipline of regular gym attendance.

The problem with disruption is that it breaks habits. And habits can be really hard to start once they are broken. I know, for me, restarting habits is even harder.

So I’m seeing friends who can’t swordfight, essentially give up because they can no longer spar and the habit of going to training and fighting having worn off.

I think my writing braved lockdown because I’ve worked hard to be adaptable. I have mobile work practises and have really tried to be able to be able to write from anywhere. My fitness relies heavily on a gym and set times. Without that discipline, I put it off and off, until I’m in the lockdown state I am.

But, more trying to put a positive spin on this for myself rather than unintentionally bash anyone else, there’s an opportunity here. Everyone is in the same boat. I’ve seen loads of friends make big life choices or drop hobbies because of lockdown. And once they get dropped (even if intended to only be temporary) they become harder to restart.

So there’s a chance here. Loads of HEMA fighters aren’t training because they can’t, but those that can adapt and do some training, will come out of this in a much better situation.

To me this is a sign that a lot of those habits that have been put on hold during Lockdown need to be adapted and kept going, even if only ticking along, because come the otherside, I then won’t have the struggles others have.

I’m still not sure “disruption” is good, but there are personal opportunities to be had. Perhaps I’m just trying to put a personal positive spin on things