In the March/April 2020 issue of MASuccess, I discussed the first three keys to long-term success in the martial arts: Keep your center, value your relationships above all else and know where you're going. Here, I will cover the final two.

4. Know How You're Going to Get There

Once you know where you're going (my third key), the next step is figuring out how you're going to get there. You don't need to know every detail; you just need to begin taking steps in the right direction. Remember that motivation follows action. There's something magical about taking that first step. Plan out the next step, and the step after that, day by day. Before you know it, you will have made great progress.

There are so many applications for this practice in the business of running a martial arts school. Imagine if your goal is to get 20 new members in the next month. How are you going to get there? One way is to work backward.

You might need 50 inquiries to net 20 new members. So you have to decide where these 50 inquiries will come from. If you're planning to get 10 of the leads from birthday parties, how many parties will you need to book to make that happen? If you plan to get 12 leads from referrals, how many current students do you need to ask for that to happen?Once you determine that, you have an actionable plan for how you're going to get there.

5. Keep Moving Forward

It's important to remember that anything worth having is worth working for. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. There are always going to be obstacles. There are always going to be setbacks. That's part of the process.

Remember that as long as you're getting up and moving forward, there is no failure. It's important to not fear moving forward slowly. The only thing you should fear is standing still. As long as you're making progress, even slow progress, you're OK.

For success to happen, you have to cultivate the belief that your best years are ahead of you. It seems that I frequently end up in conversations with people who are telling me how great their life used to be. They tell me that business used to be so much better, that they used to be able to run so much faster or that they used to have much more fun.

While I enjoy reminiscing as much as the next person, I think that spending too much time longing for past greatness keeps us from realizing our future potential. It keeps us from moving forward. It sends a message to our subconscious that things will never be as good as they used to be.

I believe that it's crucial to embrace the mindset that our best years are still ahead of us. If we can affirm this on a regular basis, we set ourselves up for opportunities we might not otherwise see. And we keep moving forward.

So the next time you find yourself stuck and in need of clarity with respect to which way you should go, just remember to keep your center, value your relationships above all else, know where you're going, know how you're going to get there and keep moving forward.

We can always do more than we think we can. Don't let your fears and doubts keep you from an amazing life. If you can adopt and embrace these five keys, you'll reach a whole new level of success. And while you're at it, do your best to enjoy the process and try to bring your "A" game to all that you do.

Read Part 1 here.

To contact Dave Kovar, send an email to dave.kovar@kovars.com.