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“How you do one thing…Is how you’ll do everything”

This message is a terrific reminder for us to take the time and put 100% into everything we do. From the smallest task to the our biggest and most important responsibilities, we need to give our all. This has a lot to do with what we focus on. If we focus on excellence, we often get it. Champions in the martial arts, in sports and great leaders in the military, business and in politics tend to have the ability to stay focused on their primary goals and objectives for longer periods of time than most people. This can usually be boiled down to desire, will-power, and good old fashioned time and persistence. Average people are easily distracted and tend to lack focus.

THIS ISN’T YOU. Highly successful people are focused achievers and are able to keep their eye on doing what needs to be done without allowing anything to interfere. The Delta Force, Navy Seals, Army Rangers, and Green Beret are considered to be modern day warriors. They must keep themselves in top shape year round and ready to enter into battle at any time. They must be ready mentally, physically, emotionally, and yes spiritually as in indomitable spirit. This type of training and preparation requires enormous effort, sacrifice and long periods of staying FOCUSED. It’s not much different than the type of focus and training required in the martial arts at the very highest level. The soldiers that protect our freedom must stay very focused during training and especially during active duty. Their lives may depend on it and the success of their mission as well. So too, as highly trained martial artists, we must stay focused on being mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually sharp. Staying focused requires regular training and conditioning.

Learning to stay focused for longer periods of time can be practiced and developed in many ways. You can start by adding 5-10 minutes on any activities that require focus. Extend your cardio sessions by an extra 5-10 minutes, increase your daily reading by 5-10 minutes, etc… Remember, by the inch it’s a cinch but by the yard it is mighty hard. Little by little, you’ll find that you can sustain your focus and concentration for longer periods of time. Another exercise is to catch yourself whenever you lose your focus and analyze what makes you lose your focus. As soon as you catch yourself, get back on track and get focused on the task at hand. What distracts you and knocks you off track? Once you identify what distracts you, eliminate or minimize the distractions from your life. Become more aware of times you are able to stay focused and identify why. A simple equation I like to use is…

Desire + Will-Power + Time x Focus = Success

Soon you’ll be in the Habit of Staying Focused. It’s just a matter of creating empowering habits and that’s the topic of our next peak performance email entitled “Habits We Train Are Habits We Gain”.

Cambridge Tang Soo Do would like to congratulate the following students for successfully completing the Summer 2013 testing cycle:

Adults:

Kids:

Leaders & Champions bring great energy and enthusiasm to their training. It’s another way of saying that true Champions have a passion for excellence and they consistently give the extra effort to improve their skill and conditioning. They are truly “Fired Up!”.  My students have often heard me say, “It’s not more time but more intensity!” This is another way of saying that Leaders and Champions are “Fired Up!” One of my dear friends often says to his students, “Smiles on our faces and butts in our places!”.  That’s just one of the many quotes used to influence and remind all of us to demonstrate our passion and energy for the Martial Arts, especially when it comes time to train. Positive attitudes, emotions and enthusiasm are very contagious.

Leaders & Champions always strive to make sure theirs is worth catching. When you demonstrate a dynamic Black Belt Spirit and show your enthusiasm, not only will you be showing your best self, you’ll be influencing others to do the same. That “Fired Up” spirit and attitude will quickly spread to others and you’ll be making a positive contribution to your dojang and team. When you’re a candle that burns brightly, you’ll be the spark that lights the candles of others.

Leaders & Champions are a force for good and they always give their best to influence others in a positive manner. This is why we must always show our Black Belt Spirit and zest for life in and out of the dojang.

Champions understand that the key to mastery is Spirited Repetition. Repetition is often referred to as the Mother of Learning or Skill. Champions master their skills by repeating basic motions over and over again. They know that it takes more than just practice to reach excellence. It takes Spirited Repetition to perfect all of the fundamental skills.

One of the best ways to accelerate your success and achievement in any area of your life, especially your Martial Arts is to practice, drill and rehearse it until it becomes natural and fluent. When you practice/drill/rehearse with the intent of becoming great, you’ll give it better attention and spirit.

How many times do you think Tiger Woods has driven the ball from a practice tee? How about Michael Jordon, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, or more recently Kobe Bryant lobbing free throws from the practice court? Or how many times do think Roger Federer has practiced his forehand, backhand, and serve on the tennis court? Look at any world champion and the answer becomes clear. The answer is always: as many times as it takes!

By developing the Habit of Spirited Repetition in your Martial Arts training, you’ll see improvement in your skills, confidence and overall conditioning. You’ll see benefit in everything you do outside of the dojang as well. “The way you do anything influences the way you do everything!”

As part of our Habits of Excellence series, we encourage you to train and develop the Habit of Spirited Repetition on the mats and off the mats. At work, in school, during study time or doing anything you wish to excel at.

“Life is a lot more fun when you are excelling at it!”