To combat burnout, do stuff you love.
Teacher burnout is real. This might help.
Fencing invites travel.
Competitions, training, equipment, meet-ups. They all require you to get up, put some pants on and engage with folks.
It's an absolute joy.
Learning the sport was very difficult at first. The idea is simple: Touch the other person with your blade before they touch you.
That's it. That's the game.
But it's the subtleties of the sport that mess with my mind. It took me about 18 months to feel confident in holding my weapon. In my first competition, I should've been disqualified ten times for all the things I did incorrectly out of naivety and sheer lack of knowledge. It's difficult fencing against your club mates—many of them world champions—because you're sure you're going to die from trying to get even one point off of them, while they're practicing a particular technique without breaking a sweat in anticipation of their next international competition.
And yet.
It's exhilarating. It’s very existential—I am nowhere else except opposite my opponent, watching and sensing every detail.
Fencing is royal: My posture changes when I get suited up. I'm taller, shoulders back, head up, steps deliberate. I like the ritual of transformation into an athlete. After some open bouting or after a one-on-one lesson, I feel strong, like a warrior.
As a studio leader, you need a thing like that. You need a somethin’ that has a nuthin’to do with music or your business that makes you feel refreshed.
This is a type of rest that stimulates creativity. It's a type of rest that enhances the body, sure, but also sharpens the mind (fencing is sometimes described as fast chess) and helps the spirit soar (mastering difficult skills will do that).
I'm fortunate to have cultivated a life that is exciting and fun. While you build your studio, be sure to include fun things to do.
It'll definitely show up in the business.
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