September 2019 Character Development Program, Focus

It’s officially Fall and our students have all gone back to school! We thought that a great message to talk about this month is Focus because so many of us struggle to get back into a regular schedule around this time, especially when its still sunny and warm out! 

Focus is the concentration of attention or energy on something specific and can be applicable to so many parts of life. We talk about it regularly in class because its so important for martial arts practice. Focusing your mind on what you are doing helps you stay present and leave your crazy day behind you when you bow on the mat. Focusing your body helps you work on control, so you don’t get hurt or hurt others while practicing and so you get better and better at what you’re learning. 

We’ve been asking students examples of how they can practice focus outside of karate and they’ve come up with some great ideas. Some have mentioned homework, since they can tend to have trouble sitting down to do it after school. Some mentioned making sure to look at the person who is talking to them like their teacher or parent. When talking with focus with our teen and adult students, we’ve talked more about trying not to multitask or jump from thing to thing too much. It can be challenging to sit down and focus on finishing one thing without looking at something on your phone! But usually focusing on a task helps it to be completed way faster and usually results in higher quality work. Remember, FOCUS = Follow One Course Until Successful!