Greetings!
Over the next few weeks, I will be writing a series of Articles entitled, "How to be a Great Student." For some of you, these will be simply great reminders. For others, it will be a great new way to look at your training. You may have heard me say, "Everyone wants to be good, but not many people know how to GET good." Let's explore ways to help you accomplish your goal==>being great in the Martial Arts!
The first thing I would tell any new student is...always have a PURPOSE for stepping on the mats! Your purpose can change from class to class, and it can change from skill to skill. It doesn't matter what your GOAL/PURPOSE is...it matters that you have one! Some days you may be coming to the gym just to have a great workout. Ok, great! That is your Goal. So how are you going to achieve it? Are you going to go all out each round of your workout? Are you going to push yourself even when you are tired? If you have those things set as your goal, you will be able to actually achieve them.
Do you train Gracie Jiu Jitsu? When you come to class, do you have a SPECIFIC goal of what you would like to be better at? Many students never do. It's very hard to make improvements when you don't know what you are trying to improve! More than that, you rarely see improvements in your skill THAT ACTUALLY exist! You are only going to see all of the things you are doing wrong. If you have a specific goal for each class, like...I'm going to get a little better at arm lock, you have a chance to achieve that goal. And guess what else? When you do, you are HAPPY with yourself. We ALL need to feel achievement & progress! Especially if we intend to stick with an activity/sport/martial art long term.
You can apply this idea to Boxing, Kickboxing, and ANY type of training class you participate in! HAVE A PURPOSE for your training! Don't rely solely on the Coaching staff to give you goals for your skills. It's on YOU to ultimately get GOOD! Your Coaches just help & guide you along the way.
When you have laser beam focus on area of improvement, you surely will make some level of progress. It is one key way to ensure that class to class, week to week, you actually get GOOD at your skills. Don't leave it to chance to improve...make a CLEAR CHOICE that you are going to improve!
This week, before you leave the house, stop and make sure you have a PURPOSE to you training that day! You will have more FUN & will CERTAINLY GET BETTER!
I truly hope you gained some benefit from this today!
ALL THE BEST!
Coach
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
It's All a Matter of Perspective
Greetings!
Challenges...obstacles...heartbreak...life if full of them. On our quest to achieve our goals, we can run into many pitfalls. We have been discussing many ways to overcome them. Let's talk about just one more. Our perspective.
How we view a situatioin gives it meaning. Tony Robbings has a great quote, "It's not what happens that makes a difference, it's what we chose to do about it that makes the difference." The way I interpet this is simply, are we going to focus on all the negative a situation offers? Or is it possible we can focus on the positive? We have all heard the phrase, "Every cloud has a silver lining." Unfortunately, this concept is often easier said than done. But, that doesn't mean it's not possible.
We can Decide in Advance, that when we are hit with a negative, we will give our best to react with a positive. It will help us stay happier with way less stress, anger, and anxiety. Let's use a story to illustrate. Let's say that you are home one day watching TV. Your signifcant other normally gets off work at 4pm. They normally arrive home at 4:30pm. Not today. Today it's getting late. It's nearly 6pm. So...here's where we have to chose our perspective on this situation. We could chose to believe that maybe they got held up at work. We could think they were in a car wreck. We could also think they are meeting for a coffee with "another person". Each of these pespectives will affect our feelings directly. Therefore, we need to work hard at what we chose our perspective to be.
This week, as challenges come your way, try hard to have the "proper perspective". See if you can't use this idea in other ways,as well. Perhaps to not judge others so quickly. We can chose our pespectice on just about anything. Give it a try! See if it helps you to stay more relaxed, confident, and focused on your goals.
I truely hope you gained benefit from this today!
ALL THE BEST!
COACH
Challenges...obstacles...heartbreak...life if full of them. On our quest to achieve our goals, we can run into many pitfalls. We have been discussing many ways to overcome them. Let's talk about just one more. Our perspective.
How we view a situatioin gives it meaning. Tony Robbings has a great quote, "It's not what happens that makes a difference, it's what we chose to do about it that makes the difference." The way I interpet this is simply, are we going to focus on all the negative a situation offers? Or is it possible we can focus on the positive? We have all heard the phrase, "Every cloud has a silver lining." Unfortunately, this concept is often easier said than done. But, that doesn't mean it's not possible.
We can Decide in Advance, that when we are hit with a negative, we will give our best to react with a positive. It will help us stay happier with way less stress, anger, and anxiety. Let's use a story to illustrate. Let's say that you are home one day watching TV. Your signifcant other normally gets off work at 4pm. They normally arrive home at 4:30pm. Not today. Today it's getting late. It's nearly 6pm. So...here's where we have to chose our perspective on this situation. We could chose to believe that maybe they got held up at work. We could think they were in a car wreck. We could also think they are meeting for a coffee with "another person". Each of these pespectives will affect our feelings directly. Therefore, we need to work hard at what we chose our perspective to be.
This week, as challenges come your way, try hard to have the "proper perspective". See if you can't use this idea in other ways,as well. Perhaps to not judge others so quickly. We can chose our pespectice on just about anything. Give it a try! See if it helps you to stay more relaxed, confident, and focused on your goals.
I truely hope you gained benefit from this today!
ALL THE BEST!
COACH
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
D.I.A. --}Decide in Advance
Greetings!
As we all work each day to reach our goals, there are obviously many challenges that can arise. We've talked about having a Vision of our future, creating a Massive Action Plan, and our mindset to help keep us focused. To further that line of thinking, I wanted to share with you the idea of Deciding in Advance!
If you want to maximize your day, you must decide the night before that you are going to do exactly that. If you decide ahead of time that you will work your hardest, it is easier to hold yourself accountable. If you know that negativity can be thrown your way, sometimes unexpectedly, Decide in Advance that you will deal with it in a positive way.
When a fighter is ready to get in the ring, he or she must Decide in Advance what they are going to do. In the ring there are certain things you can't control...but there are certain things you can. The figther can decide he is going to fight his heart out...NO MATTER WHAT. He can decide that he will always be patient...NO MATTER WHAT. He can decide that he will never give up on himself...NO MATTER WHAT.
In regular life we have that same ability. Before entering a situation, we can decide in advance how we are going to deal with it. We can decide what we want to feel, and how we want to act. This way, we don't let our emotions get the best us. We have already decided how we want to go about the situation.
Try to apply this idea as you attack your goals throught the week. Before the week starts, decide in advance the things you are going to get accomplished. Don't decide in the middle of the day if you are going to work out. If you are tired, chances are you won't. You will make an excuse on why it's "okay" to stay home. But, if you've already decided that you are working out certain days of the week, you are more likely to hold yourself accountable to get it done.
See if this idea helps you to be more accountable for your actions, and to deal with challenges better that come your way...DECIDE IN ADVANCE that you will use this to your best ability! ;)
I truely hope you gained some benefit from this today!
ALL THE BEST!
Coach
As we all work each day to reach our goals, there are obviously many challenges that can arise. We've talked about having a Vision of our future, creating a Massive Action Plan, and our mindset to help keep us focused. To further that line of thinking, I wanted to share with you the idea of Deciding in Advance!
If you want to maximize your day, you must decide the night before that you are going to do exactly that. If you decide ahead of time that you will work your hardest, it is easier to hold yourself accountable. If you know that negativity can be thrown your way, sometimes unexpectedly, Decide in Advance that you will deal with it in a positive way.
When a fighter is ready to get in the ring, he or she must Decide in Advance what they are going to do. In the ring there are certain things you can't control...but there are certain things you can. The figther can decide he is going to fight his heart out...NO MATTER WHAT. He can decide that he will always be patient...NO MATTER WHAT. He can decide that he will never give up on himself...NO MATTER WHAT.
In regular life we have that same ability. Before entering a situation, we can decide in advance how we are going to deal with it. We can decide what we want to feel, and how we want to act. This way, we don't let our emotions get the best us. We have already decided how we want to go about the situation.
Try to apply this idea as you attack your goals throught the week. Before the week starts, decide in advance the things you are going to get accomplished. Don't decide in the middle of the day if you are going to work out. If you are tired, chances are you won't. You will make an excuse on why it's "okay" to stay home. But, if you've already decided that you are working out certain days of the week, you are more likely to hold yourself accountable to get it done.
See if this idea helps you to be more accountable for your actions, and to deal with challenges better that come your way...DECIDE IN ADVANCE that you will use this to your best ability! ;)
I truely hope you gained some benefit from this today!
ALL THE BEST!
Coach
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Stinkin' Thinkin'
Greetings!
As we talk more about having a Vision of the future you want and the actions to get you there, we need to talk for a moment about your mindset. The key to your energy level and excitement to get things done is a motivated mindset. So this week, we need to AVOID Stinkin' Thinkin'!
Stinkin' Thinkin' is a phrase I borrow from Zig Ziglar, a famous motivational speaker. It should be obvious that it simply means a bad attitude and mental state. As humans, we are ALL guilty of having a negative outlook from time to time. It is so vital, however; to have the abiltiy to avoid a bad mindset and to work ourselves out of one when it happens.
One good piece of advice is to Read, Listen, and Watch things that keep you motivated DAILY! If you are always putting positivity in, it's harder for negativity to have a chance to get started. Another tip would be to surround yourself with positive, goal oriented people REGULARLY. (This one is easy! Just hit the Mats!)
It's so much easier to have high energy and an optimistic point of view when you MAKE A POINT to have one!
So what should you do when you get in a bad mood? The more we focus on what's negative in our life, it's easy to feel down in the dumps. It can start to feel like nothing goes well for you and everything is going wrong. The good new is our strategy for staying positive is very similar to recapturing it. It is so important to "download" positive ideas when you are this state of mind. Now, more than ever, you need to get inspired. Read, Listen, and Watch things that make you HAPPY AND ENERGIZED. Talk to people who help you remember all the positive things in your life. Remember this phrase, "Enthusiasm is contagious, and so is a lack of it!" Surround yourself with entusiasm until it rubs off on you!
On our journey to be successful, we have to learn to gain Control of OURSELVES. What and how we think. It truely is the key factor to us taking the ACTIONS we need to take to help our VISIONS come to reality!
This week, make a point to AVOID Stinkin' Thinkin' at ALL COSTS!
I truely hope you gained some benefit from this today!
ALL THE BEST!
COACH
As we talk more about having a Vision of the future you want and the actions to get you there, we need to talk for a moment about your mindset. The key to your energy level and excitement to get things done is a motivated mindset. So this week, we need to AVOID Stinkin' Thinkin'!
Stinkin' Thinkin' is a phrase I borrow from Zig Ziglar, a famous motivational speaker. It should be obvious that it simply means a bad attitude and mental state. As humans, we are ALL guilty of having a negative outlook from time to time. It is so vital, however; to have the abiltiy to avoid a bad mindset and to work ourselves out of one when it happens.
One good piece of advice is to Read, Listen, and Watch things that keep you motivated DAILY! If you are always putting positivity in, it's harder for negativity to have a chance to get started. Another tip would be to surround yourself with positive, goal oriented people REGULARLY. (This one is easy! Just hit the Mats!)
It's so much easier to have high energy and an optimistic point of view when you MAKE A POINT to have one!
So what should you do when you get in a bad mood? The more we focus on what's negative in our life, it's easy to feel down in the dumps. It can start to feel like nothing goes well for you and everything is going wrong. The good new is our strategy for staying positive is very similar to recapturing it. It is so important to "download" positive ideas when you are this state of mind. Now, more than ever, you need to get inspired. Read, Listen, and Watch things that make you HAPPY AND ENERGIZED. Talk to people who help you remember all the positive things in your life. Remember this phrase, "Enthusiasm is contagious, and so is a lack of it!" Surround yourself with entusiasm until it rubs off on you!
On our journey to be successful, we have to learn to gain Control of OURSELVES. What and how we think. It truely is the key factor to us taking the ACTIONS we need to take to help our VISIONS come to reality!
This week, make a point to AVOID Stinkin' Thinkin' at ALL COSTS!
I truely hope you gained some benefit from this today!
ALL THE BEST!
COACH
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