When I was a kid, I had many passions including martial arts, soccer and playing music. Then I stopped doing all of those for many years (work, family, too busy, etc.). A little before the pandemic hit, a CRG leader reminded me of the importance of investing in myself, feeding the creative spirit, staying active, and to never settle. Another A&M leader also reminded me that there is no “work–life balance”, it is only life balance as work is part of life.
What do martial arts and consulting have in common? More than most people may think.
During the pandemic, I had time to reassess what was important to me and what I was passionate about, impacting not only my physical health and creative spirit, but my professional life as well. I started re-learning to play the guitar, built an exercise routine, and I also decided to join my 7 year old son in a sport we both are passionate about, martial arts. I realized there are many learnings from martial arts that can be applied to consulting and life in general. Martial art tenets are: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit. All of these are must-haves in life and consulting.