A Coach’s Perspective: 3 Traits That Define Fast Progressors
Kathryn Marshall Movement- Photography @GBDancestars
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are doing.”
– Pele, My Life and the Beautiful Game (1977)
After 8 years as a flexibility and movement coach, I have spotted some common personality traits within my fast progressing students that I want to share with you!
These traits make my students 1. dream students for me to teach and 2. fast flexibility progressors!
Here is what I have found….
For over eight years, I have dedicated and continue to dedicate myself to teaching movement and flexibility. My journey began professional dancer, where I began teaching ballet and contemporary dance, then evolving into aerial hoop instructing and ultimately specializing as a flexibility and movement coach.
Throughout this time, I have had the privilege of working with an incredible range of movers—whether performers, hobbyists, or teachers—each striving to refine their movement in their own unique way. From ice skaters and dancers to runners, circus artists, fighters, personal trainers, and walkers, I support individuals in achieving the flexibility they need to excel in their craft.
Each day, my work revolves around helping individuals achieve their flexibility goals in the safest and most effective way possible. Whether I’m guiding performers through choreography and movement, assisting aerialists in mastering their splits, or helping walkers move with greater ease, my approach is always tailored to the unique needs of each person.
We all have different movement aspirations, and we all move through life with different bodies. What I love most about my role is the constant challenge of finding the right solution for each individual—an ever-evolving process that is different for everyone. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to flexibility; what works for one person may be entirely ineffective for another. That’s why every flexibility journey, whether it leads to mastering the splits or simply moving with greater freedom, should look entirely different from person to person.
Through my years of teaching and working with so many incredible movers, I have begun to recognize key patterns—common traits among those who truly progress and achieve their goals, as well as the factors that often hold others back or cause them to give up. Understanding these differences has deepened my approach to coaching, allowing me to better support each person in reaching their full potential.
I want to share these traits with you so you can set yourself up for success in your flexibility training!
Some of the amazing progress from my wonderful flexy students!
3 Traits of Higher Achievers
Curiosity
Curiosity
-Self-discovering individuals who fuel their own growth and exploration.
When coaching these students I do less.
They push themselves, they hold themselves accountable, and they take my teachings and explore with it. These students create their own practice schedules. They discover more about their themselves along the journey. They want to improve their flexibility for a purpose of improving another aspect of their life, whether it’s everyday mobility or to improve another artform such as aerial arts. They find out what stretches work well and when, and they do their own research in between classes. They question different techniques, and love to dive into details, and they soak up as much information as possible as if they were a sponge.
Because of this they tend to have a strong sense of self- awareness, which leads to them improving body intelligence more quickly, which progresses their flexibility more effectively as they reflect better and adapt quicker.
Naturally this type of student comes to me with a clear vision. They come to me with clear goals and most importantly a long-term perspective. This allows them to stay committed even when progress feels slow, which in flexibility, it will!
2.
Receptiveness
2. Receptiveness
- Students who lead with openness rather than ego
A dream student comes to me recognising that they don’t have all the answers and are willing to learn from others. This tells me they will learn and progress quickly as their authenticity allows me to understand their needs better, which allows us to work together with ease.
These students embrace growth by letting go of old, ineffective habits, and instead they prioritise safe and sustainable progress. Humility is at the heart of their journey. Often, I find myself guiding individuals back to the fundamentals—even those who have spent a lifetime dancing and may appear incredibly advanced, yet have developed unsafe movement patterns. Sometimes, this means lifting them out of a deep split to rebuild their foundation properly.
It’s not an easy process; facing the reality that flexibility requires patience and hard work can be disheartening. But the key lies in trust—trust in me as their coach, trust in the process, and trust in themselves. Only by surrendering to the idea of beginning again can they unlock faster and more lasting progress
Those who let their ego dictate their approach to flexibility often prioritize appearance over progress, pushing themselves into the deepest splits purely for the sake of a photo—regardless of whether they’re compromising their body in the process. This can lead to unsafe reliance on hypermobility or old, ineffective technique patterns, ultimately stalling progress and increasing the risk of injury.
Open minded students love seeking out new perspectives, experiences, and knowledge with enthusiasm. They are in it for the long term, and have patience to really want to master their craft. They are understanding that flexibility training needs consistency and time, and are in it for the love of the process, not just the Insta poses. These individuals are secure in themselves without needing to prove it to others or compare themselves to others.
With this quality comes with an amazing amount of resilience. They are not afraid of failure, but instead bounce back from setbacks, seeing failures as stepping stones rather than roadblocks. Their ability to adapt and persist is a huge factor in success.
3. Love of
Learning
3. Love of Learning
-Students who understand life is more about the journey, than the destination
Flexibility training is undeniably challenging. I often remind my students that it’s more of a mental battle than a purely physical one. Discomfort is an inevitable part of the process, and without genuine passion or a strong desire to improve, the journey can feel more frustrating than rewarding. Those who truly embrace the experience, however, learn to navigate the discomfort and turn it into progress.
A lot of movers wish to have the flexibility of Elastigirl. They would love to be able to do all those incredible shapes of a contortionist, and be the flexiest one in the room! They think that’s what they want, but do they actually want it? Becoming the flexiest one in the room means becoming the hardest working in the room. Mastering a new language, singing with elegance, or becoming an exceptional chef—these are skills many of us admire and wish to possess. However, true desire is reflected in the willingness to invest time, effort, and dedication into learning. If we aren't prepared to commit to the process, then perhaps we don't truly want it, but only the idea of it.
These students understand that the process and journey is more important than the result, and therefore find more meaning in flexibility training, other than just making lovely shapes!
KMM Members Area
Online classes, Recordings & Resources. Work with me on a personal level to set yourself up for flexy success!
Welcome to my members area for my online group classes. As a KMM Flexy Family Member you will have access to all my online classes & courses, my KMM recordings & my exclusive resources, everything to keep your practice accountable & on track! I work with artists & hobbyists on a personal level, so this Flexy Family Members Area is focussed around me seeing you in my live online group classes, with my recordings & resources as extra flexy magic to get your progress going!
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The book that keeps appearing around successful people! I love it!
