Divide your goals into long term and short term: In order to make progress you must have goals. Without goals we are like ships adrift on an ocean without a compass or star to guide us. Not all goals however, are to be achieved at the same time. It is important that you divide the achievement of your goals by time. Some goals are easier to achieve, perhaps for example you just want to improve a skill that you are already quite good at. This won't take long and so this might be a goal you aim to achieve inside a month. Other goals might involve entirely new skills completely outside of your current skill set. This might be put into a three to five year category. It is important that at any given moment you have a clear sense of your goals divided by time. You should have a goal for your next workout. A goal for the coming week. Several goals for next three months to a year. A few big goals and many smaller goals for next three to five years. The fastest learners I ever coached were generally the most goal oriented athletes. NOTHING SPEEDS PROGRESS better THAN A STRING SENSE OF DIRECTION – and the best way to ensure that sense of direction will work for you is goal setting. Set your goals and divide them by projected completion time and work on them every time you step on the mats. Here, Nicky Rod works on his long term goal to become a strong leg locker in between his short term goal to better integrate his wrestling skills with Jiu Jitsu skills. Sustained progress over time needs diversified goals, some short term, some long term, determined by how your current skill set will influence expected completion dates. Only in this way can you achieve you longest term goal – to be the best Jiu Jitsu player you can be
