"Ichinen Iwa Wo Mo Tosu"

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Thats Japanese for a focused mind can pierce through stone, and it came from a Samurai warrior. The Samurai were known for their intense focus on the battlefield, which required a plan, a goal, and plenty of focus. Are you prepared for the battle of the rest of 2023? It all starts with a plan. I hope you have one! 

Even though it's almost 3rd quarter and the budget process theoretically is done, I would venture to guess that a few of you don't have your goals set down in writing for the year. Here's an interesting statistic that applies to managers but which really applies to all of us: The average manager spends only about three percent of his/her time thinking about the future.

That's a tragedy. Do you realize most people spend more time planning their childrens birthday party than they spend on planning and strategizing for their upcoming business year?

If you dont have your annual business/personal plan for 2023, its never too late to do it. At the properties we consult, we use Strategic Budget Planners, which breaks down each account on the AE's list, and we have salespeople write down their personal goals for the upcoming year. Here are some thoughts when it comes to planning. Since were speaking Japanese here, Ill use the correlation to martial arts.

1) Target Acquisition: In most reality based martial arts, high kicks do not exist. Its great in movies, but it leaves you far too exposed to a counter kick. The primary target of a front kick, which is the most effective leg strike in the world, is a kick to the pelvic region. Its your opponents center of gravity. When using this kick, you dont just hit the target. You drive your foot through his body and displace your power to his tailbone. Translate this to goal setting, and you find that it correlates to striving to follow through on your goals. Write them on paper, tablet, smartphone, or computer and keep them in front of you at all times. Look at them constantly. Use affirmations to reinforce those goals. Your mind is a homing torpedo, it goes to the area of dominant thought. Visualize your objectives, projecting yourself through to a successful outcome and using all five senses to accomplish your goals.

2) Stopping Power: Its easy to write 100 things that you want to accomplish in 2023. If you have too many, you will lose focus. Let me explain: When using a front kick, its better to hit your opponent one or two times with as much power as possible, rather than many times with weaker blows. This also applies to advertising. Focused, long-term advertising is much more desirable than short-term pulse advertising if the goal is to build the franchise in the mind of the consumer. In a real conflict, those who kick and punch hard possess real stopping power. Those who aim only to maximize their speed will possess less of it. (For in-depth analysis, read the childrens tale The Tortoise and the Hare.) In goal setting, focus on one or two things that can change your life. Change how you sell, change your mental outlook, increase your spirituality, focus on what you really want to do in life, and visualize the things that will make you happy!

3) Technique Train: If youre going to practice a successful front kick against a hostile target, you had better know the technique: conflict position, rear-leg delivery, strike and recovery. Simply put, you fight as you train. In life, we tend to gravitate toward the things we do every day when it comes to accomplishing our goals. Are you training to be the best in the world at sales/managing/leadership or whatever you do? Or are you sitting on the couch at night watching reruns of Two and a Half Men or taking up space at your local bar? Nothing wrong with either of those, as long as you are giving 100 percent to accomplishing your goals and putting in the effort and focus. As Kemmons Wilson, founder of the Holiday Inn chain of hotels said, Just work half days -- it doesnt matter if its the first 12 hours or the last 12 hours -- just work half days!

Sean Luce is the Head International Instructor for the Luce Performance Group and can be reached at sean@luceperformancegroup.com.