What's the common theme I hear from my friends and something I experienced myself as I became a more "seasoned" professional? It may not come up in these exact words or even be recognized as a concrete feeling. It may show up more as a little nagging sensation that you can't quite put your finger on or a frustration that slowly starts to tear at you from the inside. It may become apparent in broken relationships where you were unable to be "available" to the other person. It may manifest in regret 10 years down the road when it is too late to do anything about it. So, what is this common theme?
Time is precious...and limited.
We all start off our dance careers, fresh out of high school or college, with an overzealous drive to prove ourselves, get a job, and climb to the top. So, we voluntarily throw ourselves into multiple dance classes 7 days a week. We add in Pilates and yoga to give ourselves that extra kick. Then, of course, there's the cardio we do on the bike or treadmill to "burn calories." Maybe you throw in some exercises at home before you leave the house or at night before you go to bed just to make sure you covered all your bases. Before you know it, your days are booked with an intense schedule of trying to stay in shape and get ahead. There's not much room left for hanging out with friends, exposing yourself to the art your city has to offer, exploring nature, vacationing, delving into new hobbies, or learning new interests. And, you can forget about having a significant other (has anyone else experienced that guilty feeling like you are "cheating" on your ballet when you first start dating someone...or am I the only weirdo there?). Who has time to devote to a relationship?
And the worst part about all this? You still aren't where you want to be. You still feel like you are barely making progress. You still need to improve. You are so exhausted from keeping up your current routine...yet, you feel like you have to squeeze in even more exercise to get you to the next level. So, you sacrifice a little more time, a little more sleep, a little more energy and drag yourself to another class or add in another round of crunches.
You can only keep this routine up for so long. As chronic exhaustion sets in, you slowly start losing your zeal and enthusiasm for your art. You figure that you are doing so much as it is, you couldn't possibly do any more. This must be as good as it gets. And so, you resign yourself to your current level. At this point, you also start to recognize how much you've missed out on in life while you were obsessed with your exercise routine. Maybe you start dating or hanging out with friends more. Maybe you start having (*gasp*) fun. You slowly start eliminating hours spent exercising and taking class. Maybe you still hang on to your career in the ballet world, or maybe you quit entirely. Either way, you feel your love for ballet fading out. Guilt sets in as you judge yourself for not doing as much as you used to. But once this concept that time is limited enters your psyche, you are suddenly aware of all the other things in life that you want to do, see, accomplish, experience. And, you can no longer put yourself back in that tiny box you were in before. You want more.
What if it didn't have to be this way? What if you didn't have to choose between your art and the rest of your life?
These days, the internet is full of all kinds of life hacks designed to make your life a little better while saving you time and energy. These hacks range from improving sleep, nutrition, stress, focus, health and beauty. What if there was a hack for your ballet career? What if there was a way to get to your next level while actually decreasing the time invested in it? That's exactly what Bulletproof Ballerina workouts are designed for: hacks for ballet. Instead of quantity, BB training focuses on quality. While cutting back on your time spent training and increasing the intensity when you do train, you'll get results like you've never experienced before while you were driving your body into the ground with your relentless routine. This increase in intensity and quality allows you to rest more, which not only preserves your body for a longer "dance-life" but also gives you the gift of, you guessed it, time. Time which you can choose to do whatever you want with. Precious time.
Interested in hacking your ballet career? Want to get to your next level while freeing up your precious time to explore life?
Homework:
- Make a list of at least 10 things you want to see, visit, experience, feel, try before your time is up on this Earth.
- Start doing them.