Is it possible to over stretch? Is it possible to over reach a technique? Is it possible to over commit resources?
Obvious answers, right? I wonder why so many of us do exactly that as business owners. We counsel our students to do appropriate stretches; we reinforce the correct form. Yet, we sometimes find ourselves trapped when our schools’ functions run us, instead of us controlling those functions.
“I want to run a successful school, so I look to my own inner balance at the same time as I work on my outer business.”
When I first opened my school, it was the next logical step in my martial arts life. As a plans-driven person, I studied how to open a business and started to acquire the skills necessary to remain in business. I did not become another statistic on the failed start-up-business list.
To build my business, I did what I do well, and found people who would support my venture and shared my vision in some way. I didn’t want to build a business that would eat me alive. I wanted a place where everyone could grow.
My vision has been refined and I have discovered that, for me, the martial arts are merely tools for personal growth. The martial arts ceased to be an end itself. I wanted my students to be infected with that same spirit and see that the martial arts were a way to balance their lives. Sometimes, however, I lose sight of this goal. Sometimes, the business seems to acquire a life of its own and I find myself wrestling a dragon I created.
We live in a world where timelines become shorter, pressure to succeed increases almost exponentially and we struggle to keep pace. As a school owner, there are so many options to offer our students. Gone are the days of the single-art school. Aside from stylistic differences, there are kickboxing, body shaping, grappling, weapons programs and curriculum for all ages. Is it our egos that lead us to attempt to provide it all?
We cannot be all things to all people, or fill every niche. There must be balance. As Brian Tracy writes in The Power of Clarity, it’s all about ordering your value set. If I value business success over family and health, then I may sacrifice both to obtain “success.” Is that where I want to be in my life?
When we’re successful, there is always balance. I am balanced when I do justice to my family, clients and myself, and my sense of business integrity. My personal key is: Know what you do well and do it well. When I sense a loss of balance, I return to my Judo training: If I resist, then I become a wall to be overcome by a superior force; if I’m off balance, then I’m vulnerable to weak forces.
In the final analysis, I want to run a successful school, so I look to my own inner balance at the same time as I work on my outer business. I cultivate the types of clients who are a perfect match with what I offer; and I work on serving their needs with all of the abilities of my staff and me. For me, it’s not about opening another profit center; it’s about maximizing the profit centers that I already have.
How do I keep my dragon from consuming me? I set aside time to work on my business. I keep a clear vision in my mind. I know that there are some things that I will not sacrifice to gain long-term goals.
I still have work to do in this area. After all, I’m a work in progress. I do know this: When I truly give my clients what the martial arts has given me, then I am at my best. My best isn’t just teaching on the deck or running my business, my best happens whenever my life is in balance.
Dr. Chris Dewey is a university professor and martial artist. He holds Black Belt ranks in Judo, Jujitsu, Taekwondo and Hapkido, and has been training for more than 30 years. He is the owner of the Starkville Martial Arts Academy and is Chair of the United States Judo Association Coaching Education Committee.
