Monday Miyagi 051809
Welcome back to the AMA Blog and to our first Monday Miyagi! Mr. Miyagi is a fictional martial arts master and the mentor of Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid films. The character was played by Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the first film.
In the Monday Miyagi I am going to share a weekly life lesson. To start things off I want to talk about the power of making a public commitment to your goals. Every January my wife and I sit down and write a list of personal and professional goals. In 2007 I set a goal to lose 10 lbs., but I kept the goal to myself. The only person who knew was my wife. At the beginning of December 2007 I was 1 pound away from achieving my goal. Unfortunately, I did not stay focused and by the end of December I had gained a few pounds and did not reach my goal 🙁
So, in 2008 I reset my goal – and increased it to losing 15 lbs. This time I did not keep it a secret. I told my wife, a few close friends and my training partners. At the end of December 2008 I had lost 17 lbs. and was feeling great! I was stronger and leaner than when I got married and opened the school full-time in 2004. By involving other people in the process I became more accountable for my actions.
In fact, the new website design, student resources & AMA blog all went live today, because I told the students in last Wednesdays adults class that I was going to get it done by today. It has been a challenge, and there is still room for improvement, but with people holding me accountable I have reached my goal at 11:14pm.
What goals are you trying to achieve and who can you tell to help you achieve them?