I have been doing martial arts for 14 years, and I would never have developed the skills I need for the rest of my life without it. But, that doesn’t mean it never got hard, or that I never wanted to quit! In fact, when I first started, I thought it was too hard. I didn’t want to push myself to do my best, and I didn’t want to come to class so that the coaches could push me, either!
This month at Pride, we have been talking about Self-Discipline: making yourself do what needs to be done, even when you don’t feel like it. Even the things that we enjoy can get hard. This means that we have to find ways to motivate ourselves when things get difficult.
My dad taught me a valuable lesson, that I still use today. He promised that every time I came to class and did my best, he would take me to 7-11 and buy me a Slurpee. He knew that self-discipline was a process.
Sometimes, self-discipline isn’t just giving yourself consequences for NOT doing what you are supposed to do. Sometimes, you have to reward yourself for what you have accomplished, too! That is how I made it through that rough spot one Slurpee at a time.
So what is YOUR “Slurpee?”
See you on the mat,
Coach Monkey