Motivation in martial arts training.
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I’ve been training in the martial arts for almost forty seven years now and finding the motivation to keep going has been an ongoing process. Sometimes it was easy, other times not so much. Which brings me to the question I think is key to have long-term motivation to continue in the martial arts: Why do you train?
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We all have different reasons to train. As I get older, staying healthy and in shape increasingly becomes a motivation to keep going. Looking back on it all, my motivation to train has changed many times, just like it has for most people who stick with the martial arts for a long time.
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But there were many periods over the years that I wanted to give up or didn’t feel like training at all. Sometimes I gave in to those feelings, other times I trained anyway. Sometimes I felt like I was wasting my time with the martial arts and should find a “real” job.
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There is nothing wrong with having trouble finding the motivation to train in the martial arts, even if you love it. There is something wrong with accepting this as an unchangeable fact.
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As with anything worthwhile in life, and I have said this many times before, it’s up to you to make it work; nobody will do it for you.
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Don’t look around at others and what they are doing, or not doing. Simply bow your head, look down and keep going. One day, you will pause and you will see how far you have come, and yes, you can take some pride in that, but then you look ahead and see how far there is still to go (and there will always be more to go). That’s when you lower your head once more and go back to training.
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There is no secret to staying motivated in any form of training. You have to regard your training as a lifestyle that is part of your identity, not just a hobby that you pick up now and again.
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You have to have passion, and then turn that passion into a habit. A hobby is something you do when you have the time. A passion is something you want to do even when it’s difficult. Habit comes naturally when you’re training in something you’re passionate about.
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Make time for it. Prioritize training as a way of life – as important as family, friends and career. If you are bogged down by responsibilities, commitments and problems, find solutions and don’t make excuses.
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Until you see yourself as a true practitioner of your chosen martial art, you will always find excuses, without ever pushing harder to see how you can make your training work. Change your mindset. Make karate your lifestyle.
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“I refuse to lower my standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.” ??