Everyone Does What They Do Best

The title of this post is a direct quote from an inspirational CEO for whom I used to work. While, in the office, I don’t think we were able to meet the goals set forth in this statement, that doesn’t invalidate it as a solid doctrine.

I bring this quote up because every dojo, just like any other club, has needs. We have to keep the dojo clean. We have to make sure that we train regularly and vigorously. We have to work on getting new students. Some needs are major: dojo cleanliness. Some needs are fun: getting t-shirts made. But no matter how you cut it, needs exist.

The question then becomes: how do we fulfill these needs? In our case, many of the needs are handled by the YMCA. Our space, utilities, insurance, even my “salary” (such as it is!) are covered by the Y, relieving us of a lot of work. Other needs can only be handled by the instructor. For example, at the moment I’m the only one qualified to set our curriculum. But what about all the others, such as getting new members and such?

That is where the title quote comes in. I am learning that we all have things that we do best. For some, it is marketing. For others, it is project management. Still others are voices of reason. In many cases, we are proficient in multiple skills, but we really only enjoy or “are best at” one or two. Whatever it is, we all have one thing that we “do best.” And, oddly enough, what we “do best” often is something that we enjoy, something that doesn’t feel like work.

I’m starting to realize how important that is. The dojo will always need more than just students who attend class. We need people who contribute in some way, shape, or form to the overall community. I could ask for certain things to get done, and I’m sure someone would be willing to help. But I run the risk of asking people to do things they aren’t good at, or don’t enjoy. The result: people start associating their training with things that are unpleasant. That does not create a long-term training environment.

The best choice, I think, is to discover what everyone does best, and match the needs of the dojo to those skills. This is not to exploit anyone’s abilities, but rather to ensure that any task associated with the dojo is as enjoyable and pleasant as possible. It is my role, as sensei, to then see what tasks fall outside the “does best” category. Those tasks, if they need doing, are my responsibility. It is, in my opinion, part of the job.

So, if you are one of my students, or a supporter of Aikido Kokikai Silver Firs, please feel free to let me know what you think you do best and, if you’re willing, how that might prove beneficial to the dojo. I’d much rather ask for help in areas that you do well, than ask for help in areas you dislike.

Motivation

Aikido training–any type of training, really–requires consistency. As a result, the students that do best tend not to be the ones who are more physically adept (although it may initially appear to be that way). Instead, the students that do well tend to be the ones that train consistently. Be it three times a week, twice a week, or even once a week.

Consistency requires the student be constantly motivated to attend class. We certainly have many distractions that can keep us from training. So many things compete for our time that it is easy to let things fall by the wayside.

Let me use myself as an example. I love Aikido. It is gotten to the point that it is not so much a passion in my life, it is simply a part of my life. To remove Aikido from me is to remove a large part of who I am. Yet Aikido is not all that I am. And on days like today, even I find myself unmotivated to train. The weather outside is beautiful, my wife and daughter are wonderful–how easy it would be to takea day off and go spend time with them! And certainly, which is more important–my family, or myself? Of course, I have two compelling reasons to not take a day off: first, I am the instructor, and my students depend on me; second, I am, in fact, paid to teach my classes, and the income (or lack thereof) does have an affect on my family. So even though I would like the day off, I can no more indulge in it than I can from my regular job.

So, regardless of my motivation, I will be at class.

This is not a bad thing. The fact that I am disciplined enough to attend classes even if I don’t feel compelled to do so stengthens many skills that are useful in other parts of my life. How often are we faced with a chore that we could easily put off, if we so chose? Housework, yardwork, tasks at our jobs–there are many that we try to postpone because they don’t appeal to us at the moment. Yet, being able to persevere through a lack of motivation typically has excellent results. For example, when I force myself to do the “less desirable” tasks at work, I find that I am later ahead of schedule. Forcing myself to train in Aikido teaches my body that there are certain skills that require constant practice–to miss a day, or a week, is to slow progress and proficiency.

But not everyone is the chief instructor. So how does a “normal” student remain motivated? Well, most of it, I am sure, rests on my shoulders. I need to make sure that classes remain interesting and relevant–else it’s to easy for a student to say “I can skip today, we’re just going to do kokyunage.” But I think the best way to encourage motivation is to create a dojo that is a community. We train as a group, and when one of us is absent, it has a noticeable effect. When I was just training, I used to tell other students, “Okay! I will see you on Thursday.” This practice put in my mind that if I did not show up on Thursday, I was doing more than skipping class–I was breaking my word. As a result, I rarely missed those classes.

As an instructor I once knew was fond of saying: “It is when you are the least motivated that you have the greatest opportunity to improve.”