Small Battles, Big Victories: Winning the Daily Fight Toward Long-Term Success

Photo by Anna Shvets

I recently wrapped up my first goal of the new year! It was a simple goal with manageable expectations that I could squeeze in around my other activities, obligations, and responsibilities. It was also a range of motion that makes everything I do better and serves as my capstone to the arch of my goals, creating momentum in everything else I have planned for the year. If you know me, you probably know the goal of 10,000 resonates with me. It’s a number anyone can sink their teeth into. It’s as simple as 333 reps per day, but the phrase, “Simple, not easy,” always combines with Murphy’s Law and “The best laid plans of Mice and Men...” to remind us that we have to consistently plug in. So what did I pick as a goal to chew on for the month? 10,000 Kettlebell Swings, of course!

People ask why I do the 10,000 Kettlebell Swing Challenge so often. Many think it’s no big deal because I’ve done it before, checked that box, got that t-shirt, and the bumper sticker. So,  why do it again? The answer is simple. Every challenge, whether done once or repeatedly, presents its own hurdles and struggles along the way that we must face. Busy schedules, overlapping goals, events, and more make any endeavor a different challenge every time, no matter how many times we have completed it.

Typically, there are days when I do not get my baseline number of swings in due to other commitments, such as canoe training, a canoe race, rucking miles, martial arts, or other activities I have listed for specific days. It happens to all of us at different times, and when it does, it creates a debt that looms over our heads. This IOU has a deadline, and it arrives whether we want it to or not. I’ve found myself sitting at the end of a month needing 1000 and even 2000 more repetitions to cross the finish line. Most, including my wife, think it’s insane to finish. They are probably right, but I feel the need to complete what I said I would do. Facing this challenge of repetitions over 30 days has taught me to track my overall numbers well and consistently follow how many I have left. When I stay on task physically doing the exercises and mentally calculating the numbers, I am able to keep the IOUs to a low number and feel good about the finish.

This time around, I faced a new challenge that I didn’t quite calculate for. The good news is I didn’t have too many swings to finish my last day, but sometimes it’s not the number of swings that is the challenge. Due to weekend canoe training and family prioritities, a good amount of our rucking miles this year have moved to during the week, which is exactly where I would put my swings. On day 30, after a 17-mile ruck, I was looking at 550 kettlebell swings to finish my 10,000 in 30 days. It was the end of the night after teaching, and I was tired, hungry, and ready for the day to be winding down. Absolutely no one would have faulted me for finishing it the next day. But I would have known.

I’m happy to say, I did what I said I was going to do. I wrapped up those 550 swings, and it felt great! These types of struggles happen in nearly every challenge. Nothing works out exactly the way we think it will, and honestly, I don’t think I would have it any other way. It’s not just the entire challenge we commit to that shapes us, but all the speed bumps, pitfalls, and concrete barriers that matter and make the journey a full-on, worthy experience.

What’s next? Time for a break? Time to celebrate? No. The momentum and discipline we gain from accomplishing one challenge will fuel us for the next. Achieving one goal gives us the confidence to do more. Since it takes a minimum of 21 days to make a change in our habits, and only a few days to wipe away all that hard work. Why would we want to give up on all those efforts we put into making ourselves better?

So my sites are set on a new goal: taper to 5,000 heavier swings over the next 30 days with the discipline I’ve built. Aligning this with other goals, like completing our five-week Push-Up Challenge, participating in multiple sprint canoe races, and completing multiple ultra-marathon rucks, is on the list. Each of these elements will feed into the next, support my discipline, and drive me further.

Does your goal have to be 10,000 swings in 30 days? No. It can be anything you want to achieve. Set a bar that is just outside your comfort zone. Don’t get scared, get awesome! Often enough, the pain of stretching for what you want will try to hold you back. So to heck with that and reach! Stay tuned for some breakthrough concepts and programs that can help you achieve a lot of your goals. These will include our updated Push-Up Challenge and a brand new Kettlebell Course on Mastering the Swing!

If you need help with your health, fitness, wellness, or self-defense goals, please reach out. We’ve helped thousands of people over the last 30 years of owning and operating Martial Way Legacy, and we are confident we can help you, too.

#ComingForYou2026
#YearOfTheHorse
#FightTheGoodFight

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Guro Larry, Sonja, Lauren & Tori St. Clair
Martial Way Legacy
"A Compass to the Preservation of Bruce Lee’s Philosophy and Legacy"
http://www.martialwaylegacy.com
512-821-3637