To keep me accountable to this (or any other) goal, and to keep a close watch on my progress, I need to develop an action plan to act as a roadmap for me as I attempt this lofty but highly coveted achievement. Though a work in progress and open to modification, an action plan increases the likelihood of success when pursuing any goal. The first step in my personal action plan for getting to black belt is to communicate this plan to my Indianapolis BJJ Coach, Marcello Monteiro, who runs the gym I train at in Indianapolis, Indiana. I will want to do this to show my commitment early on so that he looks at me for the future and the long term, as well as to solicit any feedback from him regarding that goal both now and also throughout the process. I am sure he will be reading this and all of my blogs, so I can check the communication piece off of the list, in this case.

The most critical element of this goal, of course, is to train and get better at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! I must be regular and consistent, learning the mental aspect of the sport as well as improving my physical condition. However, I must be careful, in my enthusiasm, to not over-train, which could easily lead to fatigue and injury. Just because I seem to have a ton of free time to fill in the evenings right now (i.e. the numerous articles) doesn’t mean that I have an exorbitant amount of energy, and an unnecessary injury would be very inconvenient and also set me back in my training.

On the off days when I am not exercising, I must study the Jiu Jitsu curriculum DVD’s made by my Indianapolis Jiu Jitsu Professor. These can be purchased from his gym in Indianapolis or on the website at bjjcoach.com, and are a wealth of knowledge to supplement the training. I have to watch and study the techniques, and practice them until they are second nature and just “reflexive” to me. It is also a good idea to stay involved in the community on www.bjjcoach.com to stay in the know as well as stay motivated and not reach burnout. Staying involved with the local BJJ community is an important part of the action plan.

Finally, the last part of my action plan toward this goal (at least for now) is to live a healthy lifestyle off the mats, both physically and mentally. By that I mean abstaining from nicotine and chemical substances, using alcohol sparingly, getting good rest, eating healthy foods, and managing my stress levels well. This is only one example of setting a goal, formulating and utilizing an action plan, and eventually achieving that goal (which I can state with confidence, because a positive, undefeatable mental attitude is an unstated assumption in all of my action plans). We all have goals in life. Make a plan and write it down, you will have a better chance of success. I’m not an expert, but I have heard a great many of them say that.