Motivation

[Vegita]

I have a question, what do you do when you don't feel motivated to practice as much as you would like? you still love the art, and you love the exhileration after pratice, but you have trouble getting off your butt and "just do it?"

I guess my main question is, what have you done to keep yourself motivated to practice after you've been doing it for years, and in some people's case, decades?

[yuanfen]

No ifs or buts- you get up and -just do it!!!
Why lose the skills you have acquired-just do it!!
Why slow down the development of more skills- just do it!!

[fa_jing]

you won't perform any voluntary action without choosing to do so - - like raising your arm up. No one else can choose for you to raise your arm up. You need to contemplate your free will, IMHO. If you accept it it is quite powerful.

(food for thought)

[fa_jing]

On a practical note, slapping yourself all over your body like an ape, screaming and jumping up and down suddenly, is a good way to get yourself going. Also try to guilt-trip yourself when you don't practice, like "I didn't do this thing for myself, that I could have.."

[rubthebuddha]

it's like going to work -- i don't have to, but i'm better off when i do.

[kj]

No matter how much I'm dragging or keyed up before practice, I always feel a ton better during and after. Many have told me the same happens for them.

It is also useful to devise a sense of obligation about it. The obligation can be to yourself, to others, or better yet to both.

Regards,
- Kathy Jo

[Marshdrifter]

If it's for class, I go anyway, no matter how much I really don't
feel like going (unless it's illness related). Usually, within the
first five minutes, I forget that I didn't really want to come.

For practice, I make a deal with myself. I have the bare minimum
goals I have to do. The deal is, as long as I do the minimum, I can
quit anytime I want. Usually, I'm too into the workout by the time
I finish the minimum requirements to stop.

Hold yourself to the goals. If you let the goals slide every now
and then, they won't be as effective for your motivation.

[Vegita]

interesting idea Marsh, I'll give that one a try. Thank you.

[anerlich]

Make friends with your fellow students. Then you're going to see your friends when you go to class.

Find someone to practice with outside class. Then if you don't turn up, you're letting them down as well as yourself.

If your Kung Fu's only about YOU and what it can do for YOU, that's pretty sad.

[straight blast]

Very Simple...

I just think of the movie "Major Payne" and the quote given by Winifred Payne himself:

"Charlie's in the jungle gettin' stronger. I'm in the city gettin' weaker".

'Nuff said!

[Mckind13]

Two things.

1. Think about people that are or may be better then me!

2. Sit for ten minutes and focus on the feeling I have before during and after a good practice. Then I think trough what I want to do and see, feel, hear myself doing it.

Then I go do it.

David

[yenhoi]

I just think of all the people on my list of people who need their ass kicked, thats enough motivation for 3 people!

:eek:

[EnterTheWhip]

Although you may love the art itself, you may be pursuing it for the wrong reasons.

[wingchunalex]

i do what im working on in class, i just do partner drills in the air. or when i'm just doing what i feel like i need to work on, what is hard for me to use. or i train what i really like doing. for example i like doing the dummy form, so i might start my practice with that to get me going.

if your school encourages doing the forms very slowly and focuses on that, i think that would be hard (my school doesn't train that way), but if you do that maybe break your training into different periods throughout the day. like do slt ounce, and then work stuff that is more fun. then do slt again later. just i thought. good luck.

[John Weiland]

Originally posted by anerlich
Make friends with your fellow students. Then you're going to see your friends when you go to class.

Find someone to practice with outside class. Then if you don't turn up, you're letting them down as well as yourself.

If your Kung Fu's only about YOU and what it can do for YOU, that's pretty sad.
Good comments. The first one works for me. Also, the first thng I do in the morning is sil nim tao.

Regards,

[TwoManSaw]

With regards to solo practice, if i am feeling unmotivated I just put on a music cd with some heavy fast beats to get me pumped, it works every time with out fail. with regards to partner practice and class almost 2.5 years of training and I have never wanted to miss one, i still get butterflies in my stomach when catching the train to class.
Good luck, and try the music it does work.

[Golden Arms]

Do you need to motivate/remind yourself to eat or sleep? If you just decide that Kung Fu is something you are going to do as your lifetime it becomes non negotiable..you may get sick, you may miss some classes, but overall, you will keep going. Besides, the best argument is this: What better things do you have to do so badly during that time frame :D

[UltimateFighter]

Have a change in routine or go to a seminar when the top guys in your lineage are over. Seeing the best Wing Tsun instructors in the world always motivates me to train 100% more.