Keep It Simple 🍁🥊

Hey Fighters!

Keep it Simple

One of my favorite coaching moments didn't even involve a fighter I trained regularly. I was stepping in to work the corner for a fighter who hadn't properly prepared for his bout. After the first round, he was utterly exhausted. For three minutes, he'd only thrown one punch at a time—a "potshot," as we call it in boxing.

He slumped onto the stool, completely lost in his fatigue. I knew I couldn't overload him with complex instructions. He was too tired to process it.

"That last round, you only threw one punch at a time," I told him. "This round, I need you to throw two. Every time you punch, throw at least two."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"I'm going to throw two punches," he mumbled.

And that is exactly what he did—no more, no less.

For the final break before the third and last round, he was even more drained. But he needed to close the deal.

"You did great," I said. "Now I need you to throw three punches. Every time you throw, throw three."

"What are you going to do?"

"Throw three punches."

And every time he threw, it was exactly three punches. Every time.

The Power of Simple Instruction

I love this moment because, while the instruction was incredibly simple, it was perfectly catered to my fighter in that exact moment. The single-number increase was all his exhausted mind could handle, and he followed it perfectly. Connecting with your athlete—or anyone you're guiding—in that way is crucial. You have to give them what they can handle right now.

But notice, making it simple didn't mean making it easy. Increasing his output by one punch at a time, especially while gassed, was a huge mental and physical ask. He was challenged, but the goal was still achievable.

A Takeaway for Life

Whether we're giving advice, talking with friends, or networking, we often have to apply this same principle. We must cater the conversation or advice to the other person and their current capacity.

This doesn't mean "babying" them or going easy. We still need to give them advice that challenges them and pushes them to be better. Sometimes, the most powerful advice is also the most simple. We can make massive changes even in the darkest, most difficult times when the goal—though hard—is broken down into the next simple, achievable step.

What is the simplest but yet challenging advice you ever received? Or gave?

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