Motivation

I'll start with a quick story from my life in martial arts:

When I was 12, I was already a Sr. 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo. I had been practicing TKD for at least 5 years non-stop. 3 days per week. I had to wait at my rank for longer than normal due to age requirements. With no testing in the foreseeable future, I felt bored. I typically didn't have to try hard to "beat" the other kids in my classes and I didn't get corrected much for anything. In my forms, I was good enough to not get "fixed". I constantly got the, "Great! Now sit down so the next kid can give it a try!" I WAS BORED!

My 12 month membership was just a couple months away. I knew that as soon as it hit, I was done. No more TKD. What was the point, anyway. I obviously was the best I could be.

Then my instructor noticed the boredom in me from just going through the motions. He asked me to come to the Teen/Adult class one day. I did, kind of excited, kind of just wanting to see if I was as good as I thought.

The first person I sparred was a 63 year old man named Rick. An advanced Red belt with a pot-belly that could knock you over if he turned too fast. I thought, "Man I'll have to take it easy on this old guy."

No chance! He smoked me! Never hit me hard, just so many times. He was so much faster than I was used to! I had to crank it up to his speed and IT WAS FUN!

I felt MOTIVATED to spar some more. Something in me knew that I could get even better than I was! There was room for improvement.

Now it still wasn't enough to make me want to not quit TKD. I think my instructor knew it too. So in the words of another instructor I had, "He was on me like white on rice, on a paper plate, in a snowstorm." He made me fix EVERYTHING! And I mean everything. "Fix that retraction hand, tighter, tighter! More pivot! Higher kick! Faster!"

I am now pretty sure he made up stuff for me to fix too. Things I was already "perfect" at, he made me fix just to make me work hard.

Then I realized that I had found it. My motivation for continuing was not my testings for next ranks as they had been in the past. My motivation was the knowledge that I could improve. On anything! I could be faster, stronger, sharper, more focused, etc.

I know all of our motivations are different. What motivates me doesn't necessarily motivate you. But finding our own motivations is important! We don't and won't always have a coach, teacher, or parent to motivate us. SELF-MOTIVATION is the key. What drives you to improve, be different, or grow?

As for me, I will continue to try to grow and improve. That's my motivation. I don't want to live the same day and same life with no progress or change. I want to live each day with purpose and motivation.