Many roads to the same destination

The interesting thing about working with people is that no two people are alike. Yes, I know this is something that we hear all the time, but what I mean is that the combination of personality and experiences makes everyone’s level of motivation slightly different.

Take two ten-year-old boys, who are naturally shy. One has a stable set of parents and goes to a private school whose classes are less than ten people per class. The other has a parents who are going through a separation and he just changed schools.

Now put both of those kids together in the same class as white belts. Both are excited to learn the many advantages of martial arts, but neither are listening to the lesson the same way. It wouldn’t be surprising that one might have a little bit of anger issues, while the other might be concerned with why they are not getting every question answered.

Fun challenge, right?

It is important to realize what the reason for people training is, both generally and individually. Some are in for focus and others want the confidence in self-defense. This knowledge will help you be able to tap into what motivates them the most.

What motivates each person is a trial-by-error process. What is important to remember is that there is more than one way to achieve a goal. If you are trying to get a class in shape, you can start off every class by running. Some groups would like that, some would get annoyed quickly. For those classes, maybe working bags is the best way of going about it.

Consistently adjusting your approach, and being very observant as to what is working and what isn’t, will go a long way to helping you help them achieve their goals. Remember there are many roads to the same destination.