Aikido lessons

Way back when in College I studied a Japanese martial art called Aikido. At one point, I think my sophomore year, I was practicing about 10-12 hours a week. I would get there before class, practice, take the class, and stay late with whomever wanted to continue to practice. I got very good - especially my Ukemi (ability to receive technique and take falls). I was a favorite of the black belts because they could really let loose when we worked together. The funny thing about it was that it didn't seem like a lot of work. I was very humble about my abilities and I was really enjoying learning new techniques. I would really enjoy it when the teacher gave me pointers and helped me with my technique. I was really loving to learn.

But at some point things changed - I didn't seem to have as much time so I came on-time to class and left when things were over. Maybe I didn't come everyday. And at some point, I realized that I got annoyed when the teacher pointed out a better way to do the technique. I was more interested in being good at it, then at working hard to stay good, if that makes sense. And soon after, I stopped practicing.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about that time and what the factors were that allowed me to really enjoy the learning and constantly improve myself. I'm still not sure why things came together then, but when I read about Tom Brady or Bill Belichick, I think they are permanently in that mode. They are always willing to work harder to improve, even when they are at the top of their game.

I think that I am in that mode now with Ulpan. I am staying late to do extra work, and working hard every night after the kids go to sleep. For the most part, I do not compare myself to others in the class, but am always thinking about what I need to do to improve my Hebrew. And I'm wondering how to maintain it? What changed for me back then for me, and how do I make sure it doesn't happen again. There is so much more for me to learn now, but how do I keep that in perspective? Any suggestions?