It’s the reality. Most of us don’t train full time, with only training and resting to take care of. We have jobs, families, and responsibilities.
Trying to handle a job, partner, children, parents, and friends, being social, having other hobbies, and becoming a better version of self, having a regular training practice is more than challenging.
Some may even ask, if I can’t train 2 hours (5 hours, 8 hours) every week, is there a point?
As you may see from the hours count, you guessed correctly that I will say: YES.
But at first, there is some mindset shift work to do.
If you are not a professional fighter, your martial arts should serve to make your life better. That means your life is not around your training, but your training is to make you better. Stronger, happier, healthier, having social connections, having a purpose, whatever applies to you.
Of course, the work has to be done. If you don’t train, you won’t get anything. That’s life.
Hard work can be done only by you.
But there are layers.
It may seem that 1 hour of training per week is nothing. But are you comparing yourself to the professional athletes or the person you would be without that hour? Those 60 minutes can improve dramatically your life. Yes, 120 minutes will be better. And so 240 minutes. And if you really want to become extraordinary in your training, you will need more than that. But maybe that’s not the goal. Or it’s not that goal NOW. When your kid is older, when you can stop working the second job, when the wedding is done… things may change. Life is flexible, and so should your training too.
Here are two tips on how to practically handle training sessions in a busy week:
A Little is Better than Nothing
Tip number one. If life gets in the way, instead of skipping your session entirely, schedule a few minutes to move. It can be just a mobility session or going through your form. If that is all you can do, do it. It won’t improve your skills, but it can still impact you in a big way. A small session is better than none. Do not think 10 minutes are worthless so you rather don’t train at all. In karate, my favorite saying was: Karate is like boiling water; without heat, it returns to its tepid state.
What Are Your Borderlines? Define Your Training Session
Set your minimum and maximum. Let’s say, your minimum will be, 3x form training, which can take maybe 10 minutes if you just run through it.
Your maximum? Absolutely star session where you work on your techniques, footwork, and form, practice your previous forms too, do some strength training, and finish with taking notes in your training diary and a small meditation.
Why do you think, that if you can’t do your maximum, your training is worthless? How ridiculous does it sound now? You see your spectrum, and anywhere or on it, you are doing something for yourself and moving forward. Some days you just make a little step. Some days you hop forward a mile.
Every morning I make myself a cup of tea. I drink it when it’s the best temperature, with my milk still like foam, being present and enjoying my tea. However, there are days when I forget I made tea. I jump into work emails, I run around the house forgetting things, or simply just place the cup on the table and it magically disappears for hours. Then I get to my tea, and it’s cold, the milk is sad, but I still take a few seconds to enjoy the 10% of my typical great tea. It’s still good. I had my tea.
You are so inspirational ...