The Art of the Restart

What caused the long layoff from training?  Injury? Busy schedule? New significant other? Lack of motivation? It doesn’t matter what the reason, what matters is the Art of the Restart.  Get back in the game with these 5 strategies to Re-energize and Re-motivate your mind, body and soul.

1. ASK YOURSELF WHY

Think about your training and ask yourself the big WHY.  Why is training important to you and who are you training for? A healthy lifestyle, to better protect your family, the love of being a student, these are all motivating factors why you need to Restart. Now that the reasons why are fresh in your thoughts,  WRITE THEM DOWN.

Put to paper your motives to Restart and find visual images that inspire you.  Place these items where you can see them for a daily reminder of WHY.

2. INSPECT THE FOUNDATION

You’ve got years of training under your belt and now you’re motivated and ready for a come back! Before you do, check your foundation.  Coming back from a long layoff means taking the time to assess your current physical and mental state.  Find resources that will aid you in getting back in the fight.  While muscle memory goes a long way, lengthy layoffs can affect the physical and mental foundation you’ve built. Shore up your foundation.

3. TRAIN SMARTER NOT HARDER

It’s a military adage, “Train smarter not harder.”  This is a truth not lost on the aging martial artist.  Setbacks caused by injury are often attributed to over training or doing too much too soon.  Train smarter by having a plan of attack.  The internet is ripe full of free plans developed by experts in the realm of nutrition and exercise!

4. DO IT NOW

I attended a Mike Stone seminar and came away with so much information that a thousand blog posts wouldn’t be enough to cover the content. Fortunatly, one of the most memorable moments in the seminar was Mike Stone’s belief in doing things, “Now”. Stop the common excuses such as,  “The weather will be better tomorrow.” or “But, I’m getting over being sick.”  These excuses are like concrete barriers placed one after the the other to slow and stop your progress. As Mike Stone advised, DO IT NOW.

5.  GET THE TEAM BACK TOGETHER

I enjoy training alone, a cup of coffee and Escrima sticks swooshing in the air is awesome. What I love more is training with a close group of people where we talk, train and share the world of Martial Arts.  Getting together and having fun will be invaluable to your Restart and give you additional support when the going gets tough.

These 5 strategies of the Art of the Restart will help you get back and keep you in the game.  If you have any more strategies that might be helpful in getting others to Restart please let us know.