| Friend,
So, you've seen those students at your dojo before...
...the ones who are just punching the clock until their next belt.
You know what I'm talking about. They show up every day, sure - but they really don't put much effort into training, and it's easy to see that their heart isn't in it.
Half-measures get half-results. Every instructor knows this, and you know as well as I do where those students are headed.
And that is, straight to the middle of the pack and the tail end of your class, based on their exam performance.
These students will never reach their full potential, and most of them will never even get close to earning their black belt in a martial art school that has any sort of standards.
(Incidentally, if you're ever training at a martial art school that has black belts on the floor who are giving half-efforts, find another school.)
But let me ask you this...
Are you doing the same thing as an instructor?
Look, everyone who has been a school owner knows how hard it is to show up every day and do the same old routine, month after month, year after year.
Sure, it gets old after a while. And I can tell you for a fact there was a time when I just couldn't teach another white belt class. And there have also been times when I was just phoning it in as an instructor.
Maybe I was distracted by personal issues, or sick, or just run down from burning the candle at both ends.
But, one thing I realized long ago is that it's my job as an instructor to not only keep my students motivated, but also to set the standard for energy, enthusiasm, and discipline.
I mean, let's face it - your students are only going to train as hard as you do. They're only going to be as intense as you are, and they are only going to show as much discipline as you do.
So, if you find yourself phoning it in for whatever reason, you'd better get a handle on it quick, or you may find yourself with a school full of half-motivated, half-effort students.
Which leads me to the next part of this discussion - how to keep yourself motivated as an instructor.
And that's a topic I'm going to cover tomorrow in my next email. So, keep an eye out for that.
Until next time,
Mike Massie MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
P.S. - Now, to be fair, some students just aren't that talented or physically skilled. But that has nothing to do with their efforts in class. I'd rather have a class full of hard-charging non-athletic people than a class full of natural athletes who only give 50% in every class.
P.S.S. - A good way to motivate kids is to give them something to look forward to at the end of every class. After a good hard training session, I like to let children do something fun. Over the years I've collected all the fun drills my students asked for over and over again, and if you'd like to know what they are you can find out in this inexpensive ebook. | 