“Everybody ends up somewhere but few people end up somewhere on purpose” - Craig Groeschel, author of the book Chazown, A Different Way To See Your Life.
This simple and inspirational statement served as the central theme of services at Emmanuel Church of Greenwood as the congregation met for services on New Year’s Day. As I sat and listened intently to Pastor Danny’s message, I couldn’t help but see the parallels to the martial arts. As services progressed the message kept coming back to the idea that to achieve success one must first have a plan. The opening quote says it all, without a plan you are on a ride to nowhere in particular.
So, how many of us set New Year’s Resolutions? Now that it is January 4th, how many of those resolutions are already broken? Are you already feeling “cramped” by some of your resolutions? If you want to make those resolutions stick this year and see real success, use the wisdom of the martial arts to help you on your path.
The first idea we all should “steal” from the martial artist is one of positive focus.
When we set goals that focus on negative activity, i.e. giving up things we enjoy, we are setting ourselves up for failure. A martial artist doesn’t set goals that restrict, they set goals that encourage positive behavior and change in their lives. Setting a positive activity goal allows for growth and success by keeping the mind focused on living a positive life. The human mind does not do well when told to focus on not doing or thinking about a particular item, action, or idea. Having positive ideas and items to focus on allows the mind to play an active role in reaching your goals.
The other key to making your New Year’s Resolutions work is having a plan of action.
The study of the martial arts can teach us much about goal-setting, making plans, and the path to success in all aspects of our life. Most formal martial arts, be they traditional or modern, contain lessons and tools to help us develop better goal-setting habits. No matter what they call the tool they all contain similar elements. As you plan your path towards success in 2012 your goals should be:
Specific, Motivating, Achievable, Relevant, and Trackable
Good martial artists rarely miss reaching their goals. We can learn a lot from the habits of mind that martial artists develop to help them develop their other skills. Everyone ends up somewhere. Wouldn’t you like to be one of those few that end up where they had set their purpose to reach? If reaching your goals in 2012 is for you, start with a positive action goal and map out your plan of action before embarking on your journey towards success.
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