BJJ, Grappling, and Priorities

[Neuro]

I was thinking yesterday about the way in which I organize my life, how I view the priorities and things I do in my life:

Where does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (or Judo, Wrestling, No-Gi, Sambo, etc.) rank in the priorities of your life? Do you put it above your school/work/career? Is it your (planned) career? If it isn't your career, do you wish it could be? The latter question is of particular interest to me.

Do you spend more time with your Grappling than you do in your social life? How does it break down?

Obviously, none of us would be likely to say "Oh, I put my judo as more important than my wife"-- obviously, so what I'm asking for is less a ranked list and more a discussion and stream of thoughts on where your sport/art fits in, in your life.

Thought this would be an interesting discussion. Eager to hear responses!

 

[Higher Learning]

BJJ is a very important part of my life... it is a huge part of my social life & my passion

my wife
+
my career
+
BJJ

^^ thats pretty much the holy trinity for me right there

 

[aldenton]

Top 5 on my priority list. with a small shift higher as tourneys approach.

 

[stile0]

i'd say bjj/judo are pretty high up there. School is my number one priority because I want to be able to graduate and have a decent career so I can continue to train in the future and start a family. In some cases I'd say training is even more important than hanging out with my friends. It's just become such a large part of my life that I can't imagine NOT training... It makes me happy and feel good so the way i see it, if it makes me happy, it deserves a spot on the top of the priority list.

it's actually kind of funny that my biggest clash isn't between bjj and school, but bjj and judo.

 

[Higher Learning]

i'd say bjj/judo are pretty high up there. School is my number one priority because I want to be able to graduate and have a decent career so I can continue to train in the future and start a family. In some cases I'd say training is even more important than hanging out with my friends. It's just become such a large part of my life that I can't imagine NOT training... It makes me happy and feel good so the way i see it, if it makes me happy, it deserves a spot on the top of the priority list.

it's actually kind of funny that my biggest clash isn't between bjj and school, but bjj and judo.

if i was you i would just stay at home and look at your AV all day

 

[HomerPlata]

As a single lad with no kids and a job I don't particularly enjoy, my training alternates between #1 and #2 priority (the other one being my social life), but it's mainly at #1.

 

[HomerPlata]

Oh, and the question about it becoming my career? I wish :icon_chee

 

[Brian2]

I juggle my wife, kids, work, running my business and training. Plus a few other social things my wife and I do but, those are on Sundays mostly so no trianing anyways. IMO it is really hard to set it as a ranking. Both of our kids train also so, sometimes their training is my priority. Overall training is still very important to me and I usually get at least 5 classes in.

 

[Jamie Hughes]

My training pretty much come s before everything. its what i want to do for a living, so everything else comes second.

 

[kosen]

My training comes before pretty much everything else, my goal is to become a good fighter and I really don`t have the genetics on my side, so I gotta work hard to get there.

 

[curb1850]

With kids, wife, career it still is very important. It is not my career, and probably never will be. I simply go to class whenever I can and juggle to make time for it.

 

[Normot]

School
Training
Life

 

[ChiliDavis65]

Though it's certainly not my career, I was training 6 days a week between semesters. I also work full time and have a wife at home. She wished I could have been home more but understood my passion. Now that school started again, I'm down to training 3 days a week. I have classes the other 3. I don't do anything on Sundays. It's not a religious thing, I just need a day off to spend with my wife. So I guess in terms of my priorities, it would go Wife>Work>School>Training>Other shit.

 

[Fencer]

I've found that I can really focus on my career and make progress, or really focus on my BJJ and make progress, but never both simulataneously. A lot of times I'm at work thinking about training, and sometimes on my way to the mats I'm preoccupied by something at work. So I just do a mix, sometimes my BJJ is progressing, sometimes it isn't. Just life I guess.

 

[CyberFreq]

School
Work
Scouting
BJJ
Food

 

[lakergirl52]

I'm a full time college student and work part time so it's pretty easy for BJJ to become my top priority. I arrange my classes and work (as best as I can) around training. I also have this thing, that I keep track of how many hours I spend on the mat in a week, and I have to put at least that much time into my studies outside of class so they don't fall by the way side.

 

[Respeezy]

I find i seem to have a very hard time focusing on multiple things at the same time.

I have my career , my woman , Bjj and my friends as the main things in my life and every time i spend more time on one of them , the other three suffer badly.

I try my best to find balance , but it just doesn't work.

So i have like periods where one of them is my main concern and rotate when i notice one of the other 3 things is suffering to much.

 

[dza76wutang]

Not my career, and I have no delusions of grandeur about it every becoming my career. That said it is my primary hobby and I do take it seriously so here's how it breaks down:
Number 1: Career (this covers work and continuing education)
Number 2: Well-being (this covers bodily needs like food, clothing, shelter, savings/investments, etc)
Number 3: BJJ
Number 4: Socialization (i.e. going out for the sake of going out, friends, gfs etc)
Number 5: General Recreation (online games, reading for leisure)

This paradigm is how I've always framed my life, except it has been bodybuilding, powerlifting and football in the BJJ slot at various times. This has been working for me and should continue to do so, at least until my priorities are forced to change by life-altering events.

 

[the_Dark Knight]

My List

1. Son
2.Bjj
3.Wife
4. Work

I wish I could spend all day training and be a pro competitior, but I figure thats just a pipe dream. My job is realitively easy this yr, so I dont stress out as much as last yr so I focus more on training. What kills me though, is not only is my son a big factor in not training more than 2-3 times a wk, but the distance to the academy is killer. Maybe someday I'll luck out and afford to live of sponorships, butgotta make due with what I have to work with. And as far as social life, I really dont have one anymore. If I'm not at home working out, or at my sister in laws or my moms..I'm at the academy.

 

[Respeezy]

^^ not to keen on the wife eh.