People participate in HEMA for a variety of reasons. For some it’s for the social aspect, for others its driven by their love of history, and for some it is the competitive drive to achieve their best results in competition. Since there are different reasons for individual participation then we must recognize that each person will have their own desired outcomes because of their participation.
Underlying all desires should be the one fundamental aspiration to grow and to develop as a competent fencer. Competency is the true measure of success in HEMA, but this requires a high level of commitment, discipline, and resilience. There are many steps on the journey to competency and it all begins with that first step. To take that first step you need to know what direction you're headed. Your clubs focus and leadership team should help you along the way but defining and following your path is ultimately up to you. The first step on your journey should be in defining your goal and each subsequent step towards that goal are the smaller goals which lead up to the goal itself. Following are some tips to help the individual practitioner develop a goal mindset and to begin their process of development.
TIP # 1 – Goal Setting is a Process
Setting a goal is not simply seeing a desired outcome but it is seeing a path forward towards that outcome. Often, we think of a goal as an end of a process, but the end of any process is often affected by factors that are out of our control. Focus more on the process of what it takes to become competent towards the goal. For example, if your goal is to become competent in longsword then study those who are at your desired level of competency and take the steps necessary within the process of acquiring that skill. Process minded acquisition of a goal is that which you do have control over rather than focusing on a distant idea that you may not have control over.
If you're wanting to be a competent fencer, then there are steps you must take in the process:
1.) Spend at least one hour every single day practicing footwork and form.
2.) Practice and go over the week's technical lessons repeatedly throughout the week.
3.) Focus on your physical conditioning with cardio and strength training at least 3 days a week.
4.) Drink 60 oz. of water a day.
Focusing on the goal process is more effective than aiming for a distant goal because it provides you with the specific actions you need to do to become what you desire to be. You cannot control every factor of your end goal, but you can control what you must do to attain your goal and to become truly competent.
TIP # 2 – Avoiding Discouragement
Wrongheaded goal setting can often lead to discouragement. Focusing on an end goal often causes a fencer to lose confidence and to be discouraged when they fail to perform at their desired level. Another reason why it is important to focus on process goals rather than an end goal is because a focus on anything other than the process will lead to feelings of frustration and discontentment. To achieve your goal without discouragement you must focus on the process and never on the results.
A results-oriented approach to a goal will inevitably end up in failure. You cannot enter a competition for example and determine your value based on your standings within that competition. Instead, competitions are tools that provide beneficial feedback in the pursuit of your goal. Competitions enable you to focus on and learn faster in the process of adjusting your training, technique, and mental resilience. Focusing on the process of a competition enables you to assimilate knowledge and learn faster by working through adversity.
Many fencers will quit striving for their goal or just quit practicing HEMA because they focus too much on the results and therefore are often discouraged by the past and use the past as evidence that something is not possible in the present. This is a form of discouragement which destroys potential through self-sabotage.
When evaluating your performance don't see it as "winners" and "losers." Your performance should never be viewed as "all or nothing." Rather rate your performance on a scale of 1 to 10 and rate yourself based on effort not outcome. Then critically examine yourself and note what you did well and what you wish to improve and then focus yourself on those particulars needing improvement. In this manner, you will grow from every competition and improve your practice.
TIP # 3 – Adapt and Overcome
One important consideration in goal setting is to understand that plans change. Club practices may be canceled, curriculum may rotate into an undesirable category, bad weather comes and you can't get outside, you have personal issues to deal with, a training partner quits, an injury happens… there are a lot of unpredictable occurrences in life. The one constant of life is that life happens without your consideration or consent. To get the most out of life is to continually focus on the process of your goal and when life makes shifts you must adapt to that shift and be able to improvise. To overcome in any situation is simply to improvise yourself on the path of success. You can never change life nor others, but you can always change yourself and that is the secret to self-mastery and attaining a goal.
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