The five foundations that TaeKwonDo taught me

In this post, I want to share with you the five lessons that TaeKwonDo has taught me. These foundations have had an effect not only on my fitness journey but also on my life as a whole.

I don't believe these five lessons exclusively relate to just TaeKwonDo, but to all athletes who practice a sport.

Becoming an expert in a sport or fitness routine is a tremendous ordeal - it takes a lot of time and energy. It is hard. It is a slow process. And it takes a lot of commitment.

But those are the reasons why I like to do what I do.

Through TaeKwonDo, I have learned these five lessons:

1. Practice:

You may have the talent, you may have the resources, you may have everything you need to be successful, but if you don't put in the work, you are not getting anywhere. If I have a vision of what I want to look like in the future, I create a plan of attack and I practice towards achieving that vision. Over and over and over again - no shortcuts!

2. Patience:

Practicing takes a lot of time and many failed attempts. Learning to have the patience to enjoy that process and the journey towards becoming the best-version-of-yourself is terribly important. Also, becoming a black belt doesn't happen overnight, so learning to be patient of your development by focusing not on the end result but how you are growing through the process helps build a strong character.

3. Discipline:

Putting in the hours every week, following the instructor's directions, working out extra hours, and many other tasks require you to have the discipline to follow through the plan you created. Motivation and inspirations will help you create a vision, but only discipline will help you reach it. One quote I like to tell myself so that I just do it, but at the same time not beat myself up when I fail to be 100% perfect is: "Be tough on yourself in the moment of action, but be gently with yourself in your moments of reflection".

4. Humility:

Practicing a sport gets your adrenaline pumping and feeling strong. Having a coach makes you feel safe and supported. But only by being a teacher do you learn the real meaning of humility. Becoming an instructor and having the responsibility to improve others has taught me one thing: I don't know a lot of things. Although it may seem you have reached the peak of your sport career, there will always be something for you to learn or brush up on. Teaching others has given me the opportunity to continue learning, being open to feedback, and knowing that serving others is the highest degree of accomplishment.

5. Perseverance:

There is a quote that I really like by Newt Gingrich: "Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did". The feeling of perseverance ties together the values of discipline, practice and patience into a warrior mindset for the process of development as a whole. Commit to the hard work and don't let failures get you down too much. Pick yourself up, revise and repeat. Have a soul of fire.

What are your thoughts? What experiences have given you the foundations or values that you live by?

I would love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out and connect!

Trust the process. Live the commitment