Success

"When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word "succeed," you find that it simply means 

to follow through." - F. W. Nichol

Beginnings are often full of hope and great expectation.  Many people start something with promises to oneself or to others and have great intentions of carrying out 'the plan' to completion.  Unfortunately, many people find that when things get tough - there is always a reason (or an excuse) to not follow through.

Many people join a gym in January, but by March have ended their memberships.  What does it take to be successful?  I had a Math teacher in high school who used to tell me that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" in response to my excuses for not finishing homework.  Although perhaps his response was a little tough on a tenth-grader, he did have a point.  Unless we do something DIFFERENTLY - we will continue to achieve the same results...and ultimately head down the same path.  There will always be a 'reason' to not follow through. 

One of the biggest lessons that I learned (and am learning) on my karate journey is that the "time in" really does pay off.  I remember thinking early in my training "why is it that I have to work so hard?  others can just show up and do well... why do I have to put so much time in to get the same result?"  What I didn't realize was that it wasn't the 'same result.'  The working out of character in my life and the lessons learned along the way were crucial to my success in martial arts.  The time in really does pay off.  At the end of the day - the repetitions matter.  "To succeed means simply 'to follow through.'"  In his book In the Dojo, Dave Lowry asks us to consider not what brought us through the door, but what keeps us coming back.

Many of us practice martial arts or music or sports or other activities and are motivated by different things.  Sensei Tom Cako, Karate Sensei and Director of Tri-City Training,  reminds us in his article "Change" that if we want to be successful in any of these endeavors we need to take a look at what keeps us coming back...and on the days that our commitment to following through is the only thing that brings us back...we have to hold on to that.  If we truly want to be successful in anything (endeavors, relationships, goals...), we need to "follow through." (a.m.)