Training Tips Series

Training Tip #1 – Turning Up

(Originally posted by Guru Besar Liam McDonald Wednesday, January 27, 2010)

Turning up for class is the single most important training tip there is! By doing the simple physical act of walking through the classroom door as either a beginners or a Guru, you are placing yourself in a interactive learning environment.

I tell my students this simple mantra” Don’t Think just turn up! “What does this mean? Well most of us are constantly fighting our internal demons, the one which comes up with all the so call reasons not to train – “T V good tonight “ “I go to the Pub”
“I play X Box” “I take it easy and have a night off” etc, in fact we get a whole day to think up a new excuse and to support it as why not to train, as most classes are in the evening. And when we miss one class, than it becomes that just bit easier to miss another class, than another till it becomes a habit, and one which is hard to break. So my advice is – Don’t Think, just do the simple act of turning up. Once you walk through the door than the teacher can do his work and help motivate you. You will begin to work out have fun and enjoy yourself. As human beings we are design to learn and develop, we take pleasure from it. When people leave class I look for two things “S and S” which is “Sweaty and Smiling” very few people ever leave a class in a depress state. Interacting with other students while training, having a joke or chat after class, is going to do so much more for your physical and mental state than sitting in your favorite chair watching the latest episode of Coronation Street.

On a final note on excuses, one of my teachers had a simple saying “what ever excuse you are going to use, its still an excuse, if you’re not in class, you’re not in class”.
Believe me I have heard it all from “A rash on a toe” to “Falling off a Toilet” to “I think I left the lights on at home” yes these some off my many list of excuses I have heard. Remember every time you miss class, you are taking a step back, and one which make the Instructor job harder, as he has to go back and retrain you on the material you have missed, or re-develop the techniques / skill you have forgotten. On this thought, how many of us have ever thank their Instructor for taking the time out to help us catch up, when we missed class? Or do You take it for granted that he will always take you back and will always help you catch up.

So help your Instructor out and more importantly Yourself and Turn UP
More Training Tips to follow.....
Posted by Liam Mc Donald at 9:44 A