Energy and effort are cyclical. We can go hard. We can work hard, train hard, and demonstrate incredible stamina over long periods of time. This is how to achieve great results. However, eventually we all need down time. We need to recharge and refocus. Only with enough sleep at night can we perform at our best each day.
At our old dojo, there was a title for students who from day one, never took a break. Every few years, one would stray into the dojo, sign-up and train every day relentlessly. We called them "shooting stars". They burned bright and looked spectacular, but we knew they wouldn't endure. Some would last months, others even trained a few years and achieve an intermediate belt. In the end though, shooting stars always burned out.
It's important to strive for balance. Train hard when you can and recharge regularly. Striving for balance in life doesn't mean spending equal hours on every priority every day. Balance means managing the cycles. Riding the waves. Ensuring your priorities are addressed and balanced over periods of time.
Through these summer months, the dojo is closed. Yes, there was the week-long kids camp, and yes the adult classes will continue sporadically, but the routine is broken. Spend time with family, go camping, embrace our brief Canadian summer. Keep training, but make it your own. Run, workout, swim, lift, kayak, hit the heavy bag, do kata in the backyard or on the beach. September will be here before we know it, and with it, the full-time dojo schedule. Until then, enjoy the summer!
コメント