| Decide. Plan. Commit. Achieve | | | | achievable. The Wright brothers researched and |
| You have the ability to achieve anything you want in | | | | studied everything that was known about ?ying. Why |
| life... if you take the appropriate steps. Imagine the ?rst | | | | had others failed? They studied their own ?ying |
| person who watched birds soaring in the sky and | | | | attempts and continued to devise new plans until.... |
| wished that humans had been given that incredible gift. | | | | The plan is the action or actions that you think you |
| What an impossible feat this must have appeared to | | | | need to take to make your goal a reality. These |
| be, but while you are reading this, hundreds of | | | | actions are resolutions within yourself. For those of you |
| thousands of people are ?ying in airplanes all over the | | | | establishing year 2000 resolutions, be careful not to |
| world. We can ?y! | | | | confuse your goal with your resolution. If your goal is to |
| Have you ever stopped to look around at all the | | | | achieve high grades in school, then your resolution |
| amazing inventions that are used commonly in | | | | should be to develop habits that will increase your |
| everyday life. You will ?nd countless achievements | | | | chances to succeed. |
| that at one time seemed impossible. Fewer than 100 | | | | Habits such as “I will study an extra half hour a |
| years ago, you would have used a horse and buggy | | | | day,” “ I will always complete my homework” |
| to get to your martial arts lessons!! | | | | or “I will avoid absences whenever possible” are |
| Achievements are not limited to world changing | | | | your resolutions or your plans of action. Many students |
| events. Achievements can be minor, such as losing a | | | | incorrectly make their resolution “achieve high |
| couple of pounds, or major, as in obtaining your black | | | | grades” but never establish a plan. The confusion |
| belt. What is important is that you understand that any | | | | between goals and resolutions results in a high rate of |
| achievement starts with a Decision, a Plan, and a | | | | resolution failure. Develop your plan of action on paper. |
| Commitment (DPC). | | | | Research shows that goals written on paper have a |
| Not everyone who enrolls in a martial arts program | | | | higher success rate than those only verbally |
| earns a black belt. Why? At some point in their training, | | | | expressed. Your plan of action will become your |
| an aspect of the DPC fell apart. | | | | blueprint that you can refer to over and over again. |
| The Decision Making the decision to achieve what you | | | | The Commitment Now that you have made a decision |
| want is the most important step in the achievement | | | | to attain a goal and have planned a course of action |
| process. The decision creates a goal. Goal setting | | | | to achieve it, the ?nal step is to make a commitment |
| experts believe that if you set goals, you are already | | | | to follow through. The most important fact to |
| half way to achieving them. How do you learn to | | | | remember about commitment is that it means not |
| become a good decision maker? The more decisions | | | | quitting. Although set- ting goals and constructing a plan |
| you make, the better decision maker you will become. | | | | are important, they are relatively easy to do. When |
| Adults are faced with many daily decision-making | | | | you make a commitment to follow through it means |
| opportunities at home or in the office, but in reality, they | | | | that you will not be compromised by external |
| may not make the ultimate decision. The actual choice | | | | (environment) or internal (self-con?dence) |
| may be left to the more aggressive employee or | | | | obstacles...even failure. The Wright brothers did not |
| spouse. | | | | succeed with their ?rst plan for ?ight, but they were |
| Children can develop good decision making skills by | | | | deeply committed to their decision to ? y. |
| being encouraged to make small decisions in order to | | | | If you have made the decision to become a black belt |
| become more experienced. Parents can help their | | | | in our school, ask yourself if you are doing what is |
| children become better decision makers by allowing | | | | necessary to achieve this goal. We want you to have |
| them to take part in household choices. For example, | | | | a solid plan that you can commit to, so that your goal |
| you might want to have your child choose the dinner | | | | can be realized. For children to reach their goals, |
| menu once per week. At our school, parents play an | | | | parents need to help ensure that their children have |
| integral role in helping our staff to keep children active | | | | the means to stick to their plan, and make the |
| and consistent with their training. Children don’t | | | | commitment as well. But equally important, don’t let |
| always have enough experience to know what the | | | | obstacles stand in the way of potential success. If you |
| best decision is long term. | | | | need help or wish to discuss your progress, please |
| The Plan | | | | take action and see our staff. When it comes to our |
| Once a decision is made, you must seek out the | | | | students, we are as committed as the Wright brothers |
| information and knowledge to make your decision | | | | to seeing all our students soar! |