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  • “I don’t have time” almost made me quit!

“I don’t have time” almost made me quit!

How did I finally make Jiu Jitsu fit into my messy life?

Hey you,

Let me guess—you wanna train more, but life keeps throwing stuff at you?

I’ve been there, and it truly sucks!

When I first started Jiu Jitsu, I told myself the same thing over and over:

“I just don’t have time.”

Work was wild. Life was chaotic. And free time? That felt like a myth.

But here's a truth that no one likes to hear, including myself: If it matters, you'll find the time.

That hit me hard.

So I made a tiny shift: I started putting Jiu Jitsu on my calendar like it was a meeting with my boss.

Not a “maybe.” Not a “if I feel like it.” A non-negotiable.

  • Monday night? Nogi.

  • Wednesday? Gi class.

  • Saturday? Open mat therapy.

And once I had that rhythm? Everything else started falling into place.

I actually became more productive at work. Less stressed. More focused.

And way better at saying no to stuff that didn’t matter (lookin’ at you, 2-hour YouTube rabbit holes).

Turns out, chasing triangles helped me chase life goals too.

Bonus lesson? I also learned how to communicate better with my family and friends.

I let them know why training mattered to me. Why I needed it—not just for fitness, but for my sanity.

And once they saw how much better I was mentally and physically, they supported me even more. Some even came to watch. A few even joined.

But here’s the part that matters most:

Life won’t always cooperate.

You’ll miss a class. Schedules will shift. Energy will dip.

That doesn’t mean you quit.

It means you roll with it. (Pun totally intended.)

I kept a spare gi in the car. I found solo drills for crazy weeks. I learned that being flexible doesn’t mean being inconsistent.

It means staying connected—even when life gets messy.

So if you’re trying to juggle it all, remember this:

  • Structure = freedom

  • Communication builds support

  • Consistency wins—even if it’s not perfect

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you how all this rolling helped me actually become better at relationships (yeah, I was shocked too).

Catch you then?
—Ben at jiujitsu-news.com

P.S. Got a weird training-life-work balance trick that’s worked for you? Hit reply—I’m always looking to steal good ideas. 😄

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