Henry Ford said, “Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.”
One of the most challenging parts of training is dealing with the normal (even expected) setbacks that occur. Whether it be the challenges of injuries, a schedule or job change, or a lost motivation to train, each situation can be an opportunity to reinforce the important characteristic of overcoming obstacles. Or it can become the long, slow slide into a life filled with excuses. How we handle the next setback that comes our way may determine our ultimate future success and happiness.
Every day our actions reinforce habits and we need to be making sure the habits we reinforce will be to our advantage. Our reaction to a minor training setback might affect how we deal with more important challenges in life that will come our way.
“One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.” –Albert Schweitzer
One of the biggest challenges in training is injury. Although injuries are not frequent, they can and do happen. Even minor injuries must be addressed and not ignored. Major injuries will require some rethinking and restructuring of your training goals. If an injury occurs, get professional advice and take the necessary steps to protect yourself from further harm. As one of my instructors always says, “respect your injuries.” If you can keep working out, do so carefully. It’s more important that you recover, not show that injuries ‘can’t stop you’. If you can’t workout but you can help someone else in their training, do so by coming and helping out. Be a cheerleader on the bench – you will still absorb material and also be a part of the team. Also, your time does not get filled with other activities that may take you away from your training goals.
Schedule changes or job changes can lead to difficulties in your training program. We all need a consistent schedule to help keep us on track by following a pre-set schedule. When changes occur, it can be difficult to prioritize your time so that the essential things are done first. When essential things are forgotten or left off, life begins to get out of balance and even more time challenges crop up. Training is important, but not as important as family time and work or school commitments. When schedule changes occur, be quick to evaluate your own personal schedule and make the necessary changes to keep balance in your life.
Douglas Macarthur said, “Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.”
Another potential setback may occur when you lose the motivation to train. You may be going through the motions but find that you don’t seem to be producing any results. Lost motivation to train can occur as a result of the two previously discussed setbacks, or just simply from not seeing progress made during some of the typical plateaus that occur during your martial arts journey. Recognizing that you have lost your motivation is key to regaining your motivation.
Lost motivation can be regained in a variety of ways: it may be as simple as scheduling a private to go over your material, go to lunch with a training partner or an upper belt to discuss the journey, or even taking time to read through your martial arts notebook and remembering why you train.
World champion racing driver Mario Andretti said, “Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”
Keep your goals always at the forefront of your training; this reminds us why we do what we do. Then do your best to work towards those goals. Don’t let a day go by where you have not done something that will move you closer to one of your goals. Then you can count every a day another success!
Train Strong to Remain Strong!
- Sigung Kelly
