Perhaps you can relate to the kind of frustration that only comes when you are stuck in the middle of a learning curve. When you’ve moved past the initial excitement of starting something new, but you haven’t yet reached the point where you feel like an expert. It could happen at any point in life, and especially when you are at the pinnacle of your career or doing anything important. You are in the “grind,” where progress feels invisible and every mistake feels like a sign that you should just pack it up and try something else.
Whether you are trying to fix a persistent hook in your bowling game or trying to navigate a career shift, the urge to walk away is often at its strongest right before a breakthrough. But you need to know that persistence isn’t about blind stubbornness. Instead, it’s about giving yourself enough time to actually get good at something.
The 172-Average Plateau
We often see success as a straight line pointing upward, but reality looks more like a staircase. You hit a plateau, you stay there for a long time, and then—seemingly out of nowhere—you jump to the next level. In the story of Gary Yamasaki’s bowling career, there was a time when he was hovering at a 172 average. To most, that’s a decent score. To someone wanting to compete at the highest levels, it felt like a wall.
If he had quit then, he would have missed the “trickle-down effect” that eventually brought his entire family into the sport. Quitting doesn’t just end your progress; it ends the possibilities you haven’t even imagined yet.
The Value of the Rebuild
Sometimes, to move forward, you have to be willing to get worse first. In bowling, as in life, this often means changing your “grip” or your “approach.” It’s uncomfortable to go back to basics when you think you should be winning trophies. However, the people who refuse to quit are the ones who realize that a temporary dip in performance is just the foundation for a much higher peak later on.
When you stay the course, you develop a brand of mental toughness that can’t be taught in a classroom. You learn that a “bad frame” doesn’t define the “whole game.” You learn to take the advice of mentors like John, who reminded Gary to walk before he could run.
If you are currently feeling like you’re stuck in the mud with a project or a passion, remember that the most rewarding chapters of your life usually come right after the one where you almost gave up. To see how a simple commitment to “not quitting” can transform a casual hobby into a lifelong family legacy, I highly recommend reading “Walk Before You Run” by Gary Yamasaki. It is a testament to what happens when you decide to stay in the game and don’t quit. If you are feeling stuck in life and are unsure about where to go, perhaps reading this book can help you find the right path to stand back up and face the music.
A Bowling Journey (3 book series) Available on Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZJD5LRV