A goal is a specific change in yourself that you are willing to work to achieve. Earning a black belt should help you make the changes in your life that you have always wanted. I have seen so many students make progress not just in their taekwondo skills but the confidence and skills they build on the mat radiate into the other parts of their lives. Suddenly, they're shining brighter academically, personally, and professionally as a result of their martial arts practice. However, these results usually only kick in once the student has decided to practice on purpose.
Students usually start training like they do anything else. They do what they are supposed to do because the instructor said so. A transformation occurs when the student does what they need to do because they are trying to become as good as they can be. These students still follow the rules of class, but they are not measuring themselves by compliance but by improvement. When we try to make everything we do better every time we do it, we are practicing on purpose. That is the type of practice that changes everything.
