Happy New Year, and thank you!
Hi Parents and Students
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
I tried my best to send individual messages to the wonderful people who gave me Christmas gifts. Unfortunately I failed to write the name of the giver on two gifts, and I don’t know who to thank. So, if you gave me a Christmas present, and I haven’t emailed you directly to thank you very much, please accept my apologies, and my gratitude – the gifts were lovely, thank you!
The new year begins on Sunday. Have a wonderful time! I hope the weather improves (it is storming as I write this).
New Year is a great time to think about your goals. We have four gradings planned this year – one at the end of each term. There are black belt gradings in May and December. There are trials for the NZ Team in January, for selection to compete in Finland in September (a link to details in our calendar). We have the national camp in Rotorua in the first weekend of February, with a guest Master Instructor from Ireland. There are tournaments (regionals, nationals and others), the national kids’ camp in March, and many other events. Check our calendar for details. There are also online courses available once you login to the national website.
Think about what you want to achieve. Get involved in events, too – you’ll meet great people from around the region, the country, and the world – and your Taekwon-Do skills will improve, too. Then set your goals. What grade do you want to be this time next year? What do you have to learn and in what must you be competent to achieve those goals?
Make your goals SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound), and break your goals down into a ladder of measurable sub-goals to get you there. Share your goals with a friend or family member – when you tell somebody else your goals, you are more likely to hold yourself accountable to them.
We have several red belts now. I’d love to see you all work hard for black belt this year, and maybe even achieve it by December 2023! And I’d love to see new red belts, blue belts, green belts, and a sea of new yellow belts!
I look forward to seeing you in Vellenoweth Green on Tuesday 17 January 2023. In the meantime, do a bit of your own practice, wherever you are.
Happy New Year!