What Jackie Chan & Kung-Fu Films Taught Me About Getting Better🥋

Published: Wed, 01/20/21

Growth is Growth, No Matter How Small.

- Unknown

When Chiang Sheng walked across the screen at Clarkies Cinema, the interior erupted into whistles and cheers as the star of the Crippled Avengers, a Shaw Brothers production, moved smoothly into a Tigers Claw stance. Jamaicans adore martial arts films. In my little town of Savanna-La-Mar, The Imperial, situated downtown, was the main cinema, showing all popular American and English movies. But at the top of the main street was Clarkies Plaza and cinema, a temple for all worshippers of Hong Kong martial arts movies.

Failure is Success in Progress

I can still picture it. The hard metal chairs, the smell of peanuts, Red stripe beer, and Craven A cigarettes. The rapid clack, clack, clack of the old projectors reels as it played to shouts of joy and derision from the audience - the Jamaican cinema-going crowd interacted loudly with the screen actors as if they were expecting them to reply. I watched some really cool films, so imagine my surprise when I began to see a profound thread that linked many of them.

Jackie Chan’s break out film Drunken Master triggered it for me. I noticed that when the hero or heroines of these flicks wanted to learn a new technique or an intricate fighting style, they would take small steps that sometimes seemed innocuous but eventually built up to a level that allowed them to master the skill.

I know it’s Movieland, but it resonated with me.

It seems that successful people choose their goals carefully and take the small steps required to make progress in any area they’re passionate about. They find accessible, practical steps and master them. They make better progress in the long-run than the majority of people who want to make massive leaps.

Every great person you admire didn’t succeed because of one giant move, but because of a series of consistent actions over time. Success is more about endurance and sustainability. Top performers focus more on the process, not just on the outcome. Success is not so much about the final performance, it’s about the continual practice.
The kung-fu masters and Shaolin monks know this to be true. Because many heroes in the classic martial arts film acquired their killer skills this way.

What I love about the incremental steps to your dreams is the appreciation you develop for the process. This is how world changers do their work. They’re not focused on the outcome. They put all their energy into the steps that will lead to the result. Making sure they master and appreciate the everyday growth activity. It’s daily progress (negative or positive) that facilitates transformation. Showing up every day, gaining in strength, organizing for the long haul, building connections, and doing the difficult work. This is how progress is made.

When you do something one step at a time, you’re more intentional. It feels less intimidating and is more manageable. It might feel less exciting than chasing a huge win, but the results are assured.

Small steps are better than no steps. To master anything, consistency counts. So if you’re feeling like you’re not progressing, emulate Jackie Chan and my martial art heroes. Do your thing every day, move the needle an inch consistently, and know that you’ve done your part today. Then get up, get ready, and do it again tomorrow.

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