What Forces You to Change.
Inspiration or Desperation?
Most people say they want to change. But the truth is, most won’t, unless something forces them to.
There’s a big difference between wanting to change and needing to.
Wanting sounds good but it keeps you in planning mode. Needing hits differently – it pushes you into action.
At the root, there are only two forces that push people to make real changes: inspiration or desperation. One is driven by motivation. The other usually shows up when life brings you to your knees. Desperation tends to create clarity, urgency, and discipline, fast. Both can change your life. But they don’t feel the same. And they don’t lead to the same kind of transformation unless you understand how to use them.
Inspiration gets romanticized. It’s the story people want to tell themselves. You see someone you admire. You read a book or hear something that sparks an idea. You think I want that, too. It feels good. It gives you energy for a while. But unless you back it with structure, that energy fades. Fast.
Everyone wants to be healthy and fit. But the discipline it takes to become that version of yourself isn’t something you stumble into. It takes consistency, time, and discomfort. Most people aren’t willing to pay that price. They expect inspiration to carry them through. It won’t.
Inspiration without commitment is just a mood. It disappears the moment something more convenient shows up.
Desperation is different. It originates from a pain point. From failure. It doesn’t wait until you feel ready. It shows up and demands action. You change because staying the same is no longer an option. No room to delay; You move, or you break.
This kind of pressure doesn’t come from a social media post. It shows up when life hits you hard; The doctor gives you a warning. An important relationship falls apart. You freeze in the face of a real threat and realize you’re unprepared. These moments remove your filters. They strip away your excuses. They force you to get serious.
I’ve seen people walk into Krav Maga Experts from both directions.
Some come inspired. They saw what training did to someone they care about, or they watched a powerful scene in a movie. They recognized the power of confidence, strength, and presence, and they wanted in.
Others walk in, pinned to the wall. They had a moment they couldn’t shake. A scare that led to regret. A realization that they didn’t know how to protect themselves or what they love. They come with one goal – to eliminate that vulnerability.
And some still don’t realize that real change is required. They want a Band-Aid while what they need is surgery.
You might assume the inspired ones would do better. But more often, the “desperate ones” go deeper. They commit harder. They listen. They apply. Because they know what it feels like to be unprepared. And they don’t want to live like that again.
Desperation is more urgent to address. It breaks through illusions and forces you to deal with reality. It’s uncomfortable, yet necessary. You stop caring how things look and start focusing on what works. You learn faster under pressure because your nervous system is alert. You remember what matters. And if you use that energy well, desperation can build the foundation for real resilience.
But desperation isn’t stable fuel. It burns hot and fast. It can get you started, but that’s not a promise to push further. Once the panic fades and things feel more stable, people tend to relax and get complacent. They tell themselves the threat is gone and they learned a few self-defense tricks. And they stop showing up. That’s when they become vulnerable again (one may argue – even more vulnerable now, with the illusion of skills they don’t own.)
The solution is this: if desperation got you moving, use it. But shift quickly into purpose. Move from reaction to intention. Use the fear to build a stronger version of yourself. Long-term strength is not built on anxiety, but on clarity. The people who thrive don’t just react to life; they train themselves to face it better.
I’ve trained thousands of students and mentored countless instructors. The pattern is the same every time. People change when they’re no longer willing to accept the results they’re getting.
Albert Einstein said that “doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results is insanity.” So, a change is due when you don’t get the results you want in life.
People only commit to change when they build systems that support it. You don’t need to feel inspired every day. You need habits that work even when you’re tired. You need a reason to keep going that’s bigger than your comfort. That’s what separates growth from relapse. Inspiration & desperation fade away, but discipline doesn’t.
In Krav Maga, we prepare people for pressure. Not because pressure is fun, but because it’s inevitable, whether you’re ready or not. It shows up as conflict, fear, embarrassment, hesitation, injury, rejection. You either meet it prepared, or you freeze.
We don’t just teach strikes and defenses. The techniques are just the framework. What we really train is your capacity to respond when things go sideways – when your plan doesn’t work and you’re overwhelmed.
We push you until you find out who you are when things stop going your way.
And here’s what surprises people: their body can do much more than they thought, especially once they get out of its way. Usually, the problem isn’t strength, it’s determination. We are here to help you write your story with a different voice – the story you’ve been telling yourself.
I’ve seen it play out over and over. A student walks in, terrified. Dysregulated. Won’t make eye contact. Flinches at every movement. But they show up. They practice. They take a hit and realize they’re not made of glass. They miss a punch and learn to breathe instead of panicking. One day, something shifts. They walk differently. They speak louder. They stop apologizing for being in the room. That change doesn’t come from reading a quote. It comes from pressure. From experience. From repetition.
Inspiration might bring you to the mat. Desperation might drive you there. But neither will change you unless you act.
There’s no perfect reason to begin. The mistake is waiting for one. Whether it’s a spark of vision or a hard reality check, what matters is what you do next. Do you look away? Or do you finally deal with it?
People ask when the right time is to start training. The answer is simple: when you’re sick of your own excuses. When you’re tired of hearing yourself say, “I should.” When you realize no one is coming to fix your life for you.
And that’s not depressing. It’s the most empowering truth you’ll hear.
Your future doesn’t care how you started. It only responds to what you do now.
If you’re inspired, use it before it fades and build habit that won’t break when the wind blows in a different direction.
If you’re desperate, good. You’re awake. Now move with purpose. You won’t need motivation to act. You need action to find motivation.
Change is hard. So is regret. Pick your hard.
And if you still can’t find a reason to start, here’s one: because the version of you who keeps avoiding action doesn’t get to win.
Do something amazing,
Tsahi Shemesh
Founder & CEO
Krav Maga Experts
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