How to achieve our goals in life and in martial arts

4 must-have key points to reach any kind of life goal

To achieve any type of goal (as in 6 Dragons Kung Fu, as in any martial art, as in life) it is necessary:

  1. To have a step-by-step general plan to be adapted along the way (to avoid the biggest mistakes, to foresee the correct times of action and to do not be dispersive)
  2. To establish precise but reasonable and balanced times of action (to make each day even a small step but in the right direction and to prevent delays)
  3. To have the patience to be ready to fail (to learn what are the ways to persist on and the ones to abandon, read Measure ourselves with errors)
  4. To be focused like a laser on the result (to follow the plan without getting distracted by the fake shortcuts and the inevitable frustrations, read Having discipline: do not contradict ourselves)

If we really want to achieve our goals we have to expand our view:

What to do if the original plan does not work as expected: the split test

If the originally decided path brought us to shoals from which we (apparently) cannot continue:

  • Let us take the blame – The first thing is to understand that it is our fault, not of the tools we are using, not of the (more or less involved) people around us; if we understand that we are the only who created the problem, we can also understand that we are the ones that can find the solution
  • Let’s take a step back – Understood our responsibilities, we simply have to go back until we reach the last working step of our original plan (from there let’s humbly ask ourselves, the people we trust and especially the experts, what we have done wrong); in some case this could mean to completely restart the path and / or to rewrite the plan, it doesn’t matter (this is life and anything that costs no effort is not worth pursuing)
  • Let us make the power of experience our own – The good news is that, this time, we have a big advantage (which we did not have in the past), we know what are the methods that do not work, let’s exploit it; to obstinate to repeat the same methods is the perfect way to go far away from our goal (this way we will stretch or even block our evolution)

The fastest way to design the new steps is to vary the approach, again: let’s expand our views, let’s study, let’s ask for help, let’s try less orthodox methods, etc.)

What to do if there is a step of the plan that is apparently impassable

Here are the 3 alternative ways to overcome the hardest steps:

  1. Split the passage – One of the most effective ways is to split the difficult passage in smaller / easier actions that simplify the core operation (individually they will surely be more achievable)
  2. Temporarily distract us – Changing our focus (for a small and precise period of time), can leave aside what stresses us and slows us down; a holiday (in a more or less figurative sense) can have several benefits and in addition to renewing our physical / mental strengths it can give our mind the opportunity to unconsciously think about new solutions / methodologies
  3. Take a step forward – In some case, a problem need only to be temporarily ignored (to clean the mind); in other cases, to execute more advanced tasks can give us the mental energies, the view and / or the knowledge to face the past ones

Some example:

  • How to break the passage – If in meditation we cannot even start to empty our mind (read Meditation method 1), we may try to first learn to focus on a single thing (our breathing, pacific images, repetitive sounds, perfumes, etc.)
  • How to temporarily distract us – If we can not effectively manage the flow of the Dragon Motion (read Dragon Motion: the swirling movements), it may be useful to shift our attention to some other thing in order to leave our mind free to think (subconsciously) about our mistakes and come back at a later time (with a “clean mind”) where we were stranded
  • How to take a step forward – If we can not effectively learn to use the knife, we might want to try a (training) sword (read also Learning the use of real weapons); the simple fact of experimenting more complex dynamics, could stress them in our mind at the point of  making them much more clear and recognizable

A note by Master Kongling – The knife example is not casual, it takes me back to the past, when I wanted to learn to handle it. Gaining the basic dexterity with the knife seemed difficult to me and only the fact of having taken confidence with the sword changed the things. After a certain period of time, in which I had totally put aside that weapon, I took one in my hand and incredibly, I realized that I was able to juggle with it without any difficulty; from there I then studied all its specific technical aspects but my body had already absorbed (through “unconscious juxtapositions”) its basic dynamics. The point is that the human mind can be extraordinary if we learn to harness its potential.

Preparation, discipline, concentration

Everyone has weaknesses and strengths that, alternately, slow down or speed up our mental processes, the only thing we have to insist on, our only constant must be self-discipline (read Discipline is the key to freedom), this will force us to always continue, even:

  • When all seems lost
  • When all seems impossible
  • When all appears to be too far away from our reach

This is valid in any field:

  • Martial arts
  • Work
  • Sport
  • Social relationship
  • Weight loss

In the next article of this series, we will more deeply talk about how to solve the problems that life will put on our path (read How to solve any kind of life problem).

In-depth articles

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

  • What is your main goal?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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