I’ve been practising Taekwondo for 15 years now, and in that time, I’ve learned a lot about discipline, perseverance, and the sheer power of the mind. But one of the biggest lessons I ever learned came from a single piece of wood. A piece of wood that, for an entire year, refused to break.

The challenge of the air break

When I was training for my black belt, I hit a major roadblock-literally. To be considered for my first Dan, I had to complete an air break. If you’re not familiar, an air break is when a piece of wood is held loosely, and you have to break it with a short, sharp punch. No support, no tricks-just pure technique and confidence.

Sounds simple, right? Well, not for me. I tried and failed. Again and again. Every time I struck the wood, it would go flying across the room, but it wouldn’t break. It became my nemesis. No matter how hard I trained, no matter how much I focused, I just couldn’t do it.

I spent a whole year failing to break a single piece of wood, and it was driving me mad.

A surprising breakthrough

Then, something unexpected happened. I was at a company meeting in London where a sports psychologist was giving a talk. He shared a technique he used with footballers who struggled with penalty kicks. Instead of focusing on the fear of missing, he told them to imagine how they would celebrate after scoring. That way, their mind was already in a winning state before they even took the shot.

That idea stuck with me. What if I applied the same principle to my air break? Instead of worrying about failing, what if I imagined the moment of success?

The moment of truth

The next time I was presented with the piece of wood, I decided to try it. As I stepped up, I didn’t think about the pain, the failure, or the frustration of the past year. Instead, I imagined myself punching through, breaking the wood cleanly, and celebrating like I’d just won a championship.

And then-I did it. The wood snapped in half, and I let out the biggest, most ridiculous scream in front of my entire class. But I didn’t care. I had finally done it.

The moment I stopped focusing on failure and started visualising success, everything changed.

The power of mindset

That experience taught me something huge. My biggest obstacle wasn’t the wood-it was my own mind. I had been so caught up in the fear of failing that I had trapped myself in a cycle of hesitation and doubt. But the second I shifted my mindset, everything changed.

And the more I thought about it, the more I realised how often this happens in life. Whether it’s giving a big presentation, learning a new skill, or even something as simple as driving on the motorway for hours, we let fear and anxiety hold us back. But if we focus on the success, on the celebration, we can push through.

Applying the lesson beyond Taekwondo

Since that moment, I’ve used this mindset shift in so many areas of my life. When I had to stand up in front of my entire team to give a talk, I didn’t focus on the fear of messing up-I imagined the applause at the end. When I faced a long drive that made me anxious, I focused on the amazing holiday waiting for me at the other end.

It’s a simple shift, but it makes all the difference.

Fear and doubt will always be there, but if you focus on the outcome instead of the obstacles, you can break through anything.

What’s next?

After finally breaking that piece of wood, I went on to earn my first Dan black belt in 2020. And now, I’m looking ahead to the next challenge. Whether it’s in Taekwondo, work, or life in general, I know that mindset is everything.

So, if you’re facing your own version of an unbreakable piece of wood-whether it’s a personal goal, a fear, or a challenge that seems impossible-try shifting your focus. Picture the success, not the struggle. You might just surprise yourself.