Playing Games

At the end of the meeting yesterday Sifu Brinker asked who was struggling.  There were a lot of hands that were put up.  The IHC program is challenging.  Any year long commitment alone is hard to keep momentum on.  It is easy to get to a place where you are struggling.


Today I posted my YTD numbers.  They are not fantastic.  They are definitely not on track.  I knew where my numbers were on Saturday, yet I did not put my hand.  A couple of weeks ago, I would have had my hand in the air, but not this weekend.  So why?


I originally joined kung fu because I needed some physical activity.  I was gently pushed out onto the mats by a great group of moms.  I have stayed because of the relationships that I have formed and because I usually have a blast on the mats.  A positive state of mind really can't be underestimated.  When I am in a positive state of mind, I can work harder and I can hear the lessons being given clearer.


So why can't the IHC program be fun?  I know the requirements that this mastery program sets forth do not sound like fun.  Honestly the first time I heard them I thought they were absolutely impossible.  Even when I signed up my first year, they sounded like a pipe dream.  I have discovered that this is not true.  I have also discovered for me it is all about perspective.


There has been a great deal of talk about perspective lately.  I have struggled over the winter with my mental state and hence my perspective.  With spring finally trying to poke through, I have felt a real rebirth in my mental attitude.  I am really ready to pursue the best me that I can be.  One of the key factors in doing this, at least for me, is that it has got to be fun.  So how to make the IHC fun...  Make it into a game!


For the past couple weeks I have been playing a little game with myself.  On Monday's I take stock of where my numbers are at - that is not always fun but really necessary.  If you don't know where you are, how can you figure out where you are going?  Then I set what I've heard called stretch goals.  This is not the 960ish push ups/sit ups or 21  form reps/AoK.  I am a little behind, and I want to push.  I set my goals higher than these numbers but still try to be somewhat realistic.  Then I go about seeing if I can meet these goals.  Some days I rock out the reps.  Yay me!  Some days I really don't.  I am finding that this perspective is helping.  My weekly rep totals are increasing each week.  I am not beating myself up for not meeting my goals and sometimes missing a day when life gets in the way.  I am having fun which has lead to more progress than white knuckling it ever has produced consistently.


For those of you who are struggling, I challenge you today to find a way to make it fun.  Remember why you wanted to join this program in the first place and I bet it was not to make yourself feel terrible but to grow.  Jump in!  Do something and then go record it!  Write a blog and tell us about it!  Let's have some fun and play some games together!