It is pretty much a guarantee that at some point during your martial arts training you will lose some motivation. You might be having a difficult time in the classes or having some problems reaching that next milestone or goal you set for yourself. Maybe its stress, Maybe its your job, Could be a lot of different things. Don’t sweat it. It happens to all of us and today we will talk about some ways to help you get over this.
First tip is to switch things up a bit. If you have only been studying one style start taking lessons in another style. Maybe you have only been doing boxing and haven’t taken a Gracie Jiu Jitsu class. Maybe you do Judo but haven’t done any Muay Thai. Taking even just a few classes in another style can give you a fresh perspective and allow you to go back to your original style with a new outlook.
Another option would be to switch up your game plan or strategy in the style you do practice. Are you primarily a guard player… well then start working your top game. Do you primarily rely on gi chokes? Start practicing and using more arm bars.
You could also set some new goals. Maybe you have never competed or have not competed in a long time. Training for a competition will give you something to look forward to and let you push yourself during training. Most students that compete are very focused and motivated to train as much as possible.
Talk to some of your teammates or advanced students. See what worked for them. Did they start cross training? Did they switch up their style a bit? If something worked for one of your training partners then there is a good chance that it will work for you or at least give you an idea that you can use yourself.
Talk to your instructor. Again this has happened to pretty much everyone who has trained. We have seen it all and heard it all before and we can help. We can help put a plan together with you that will get you right back on track. Sometimes a student just doesn’t see his or her own progress and needs to sit down with the instructor to see how they are doing. That will often help them realize that all the hard work they are putting in at the academy is well worth it.
So just to wrap this up remember this can happen to anyone. It probably has happened to your friends and instructors and they worked through it. You have a lot of people at the academy who can help you out and sometimes just the smallest change is all that is needed to change things up.
And one last thing remember this great quote
“A black belt is a white belt who never quit”