We need consistency, grit, humility, but everything starts with commitment. That’s the key to sticking with jiu-jitsu. The goal is to train forever, and to do that, you need to commit to something, and I think that’s to reach purple belt. It’s common to see white belts and blue belts give up, but it’s rare to see purples and above quit.
Commit to getting to purple, and if you reach it, you’ll probably never stop. If it’s “not working” for you anymore, take a break or find a new school. Don’t let an environment that no longer suits you be your excuse to quit.
I see memes all the time about blue belt quitting. It’s understandable. I’d thought about quitting a few times during my blue belt days. And it was harder then. Ha! Everyone has stories of how “it was harder back then.”
Most of the students I talk to early on don’t have a goal. That’s fair. They don’t know what they don’t know yet. But once you’ve trained a couple months, and maybe gotten bit by the jiu-jitsu bug (“I’m obsessed!” phase), it’s a good idea to take some time to think about what your ultimate goal with jiu-jitsu is. Then commit to it.
Commitment will help you get through the plateau. And once you’ve gone through it once, you can start to love the plateau.
Remember George Leonard’s types: Dabblers, Obsessives, and Hackers.1 Recognize their traits in yourself, and work to shed them. Commit to the path of mastery.