Unrealistic Expectations in BJJ

It took me one week to realize I am not a prodigy, lol. For some people it takes much longer. This is all due to the unrealistic expectations that most of us have when we first set foot in a martial arts school. We come in with our egos (small or big)...maybe you wrestled in high school, or backyard brawled with your buddies back in the day, perhaps you got your yellow belt in Judo when you were 6. But none of that is going to make you a jiu jitsu God. Reason being is because, none of those aforementioned "skills" you bring to the table include the words jiu-jitsu. Don't get me wrong, it definitely does initially help your game, but eventually you are going to notice the "Gap". Gaps in your game that can only be filled with solid jiu-jitsu. I once heard a kid at an MMA academy, who didn't even know how to hip escape, ask the instructor "When are the blue belt promotions?". (See MMA academy or solid base post, lol) This type of unrealistic expectation is exactly what I'm talking about, people come in with a false sense of their own ability and think they have what it takes to get a black belt in 3 yrs. I think this has a lot to do with American culture. We live with a fast food mentality, and if anything takes longer than what we deem is the time required...we get impatient. Although promotions are the easiest way to notice people's unbelievable expectations, frustration is the next. This is where I have the most experience, lol. When I first started jiu-jitsu I felt I was capable of getting all the moves after one try and being able to effectively use them on black belts (exaggerating, other white belts at least). But even that wasn't the case and when I couldn't even get the moves on them, even with my own strengths...I began to drop all expectations (despite my capabilities) and just began to worry about mat time and drills. The main point I'm trying to get at is to come into BJJ with an open mind, and not unrealistic goals and expectations. Don't let the UFC, your college wrestling coach, or your mom trick you into thinking you're the real deal and that you only need months to master jiu-jitsu because it will not happen. It takes years of hard work and dedication to reach the level to where you have solid jiu-jitsu...so why not just enjoy the ride. Ciao!