Fast-Forward a Few Years
A couple of years later we were running our dojo full-swing and doing well at it. Then, I had a string of injuries that turned into some chronic health issues, and after ten years of running that dojo (about half by myself and the other half with my wife) I decided to sell it.
After I sold it, suddenly I realized that I had become like that couple we stayed with. I had no idea what to do with myself, because I had no interests outside the dojo. I had no friends outside the dojo either, and pretty much my entire social network was centered at my old dojo.
That was a very hard time for me. I basically sat around the house twiddling my thumbs for a month, and then I wrote Small Dojo Big Profits. Boredom wasn't the only reason I wrote it, but it sure did help keep my mind occupied as I transitioned away for teaching and running a school.
The weird thing was that I found myself in the same boat as that couple. I couldn't engage anyone in a conversation that didn't involve martial arts. And, I eventually had to admit to myself that I had become a very one-dimensional person.
Dojo Religion
Now, I know there are some people who don't see anything wrong with this, and who think this is completely normal. I don't. I don't think it's normal, and I don't think it's healthy.
Consider that when someone becomes a doctor, or a firefighter, or an auto mechanic, or whatever, they don't live their work identity 24 hours a day. And, they typically tend to leave their work at work as much as possible.
In other words, it's not a religion to them.
But for a lot of school owners, their school becomes their life, and the martial arts become their religion, in a sense. This can be very unhealthy, because as I discovered when I didn't have that in my life--when I temporarily lost my identity as a martial arts school owner and instructor--I lost myself for a time.
Undoubtedly, this is not a healthy position to find yourself in, ever. And that's one of the drawbacks to running a martial art school. We, as martial artists, tend to become fanatical about the martial arts. But when that school and your art become 100% of who you are as a person, it can leave you vulnerable if such a time comes when you are unable to do that art and be that person any longer.
That's why I think it's so important for instructors and school owners to have hobbies, interests, and social networks outside of the dojo. I'll talk more about this later in this email series, because I can tell you that I'm a much better person and much more balanced today than I was fifteen years ago.
So, if you're currently a school owner consider whether your dojo has consumed your life, and how that impacts you and your family. Then, if your work life has become a detriment to your home and personal life, think about how you might repair that situation.
And if you're an aspiring school owner, think about how you can balance your future career with your family and home life, so it doesn't become the center of your existence, but instead a part of it that enhances instead of detracting from you as a whole, realized human being.
Doing so will help you avoid burnout and isolation, two issues I'm going to talk about in Monday's email.
Until next time,
Mike Massie
MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
Quick-start Guide to My Books and Resources:
- Looking for a list of books and resources I've written?
Click here! -
Looking for low-cost business coaching to grow your dojo? Click here…P.S. - I should point out again that when you're starting a school, it WILL consume your life for the first one or two years. The trick is letting go and delegating after you get through the start-up period, so you can reclaim your life. More on that in future emails.
