One of my favorite college professors always had something to say about students that either didn’t come to class or didn’t apply themselves. He would always say, “There are no excuses in life, only management of your priorities. If I gave you $1 Million, you would always come to class.” This professor didn’t just teach us the theory and nuances of electrodynamics, he taught us how to live life.
As martial artists it’s important for us to consider what our priorities are when setting and meeting our goals. Are we taking the time we need to train? Are we spending our time on other things? These questions are crucial for us to ask ourselves.
I want to make it clear though, that I am not telling you that you need to make martial arts YOUR priority. I just want you to take responsibility and understand that sometimes martial arts are not and possibly should not be your priority. Take accountability and say that you cannot train for the moment and you NEED to take time elsewhere. You might not be reaching your martial arts goals, but you will have the right attitude to reach your other goals or needs.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to you being honest with yourself! It seems like an easy thing to do, but we sometimes still lie to ourselves on occasion. Most of the time it is because we want to be comfortable. Don’t be comfortable. Challenge yourself!
Don’t say,”I’m stiff, I can’t kick high.” Say instead, “I need to stretch more so I can kick high.” Don’t say, “I can’t grapple, I have poor cardio.” Instead say, “ I need to work on my cardio so I can grapple.”
We might not be ready to take those steps at the moment, but at least we know what those steps are and that they are necessary. It is not a matter of “What?” or “If?”, but “When?”. Once we can answer “When?” and we put the principles first, we can reach our end goals!
