\u201cHow can I achieve this? Am I crazy? Damn it, there\u2019s no way I will reach this goal. No way I did it again!\u201d
\nThese were the thoughts running through my head when I announced that I wanted to be the first Austrian to swim the entire 65-kilometer length of Lake Constance. That\u2019s 65 kilometers non-stop, without a wetsuit, in cold water and swimming for a full day and night.
\nOnce again, I\u2019d bitten off more than I could chew. Again! To make matters worse, everyone said it couldn\u2019t be done; the goal was too big. It wasn’t exactly the best start for building confidence. And they weren’t entirely wrong\u2014it was a massive goal that required ten months of hardcore preparation and dedication.
\nBut how can you stay focused on that kind of goal? Especially during the chaos of our daily lives (family, kids, job, career\u2026)? And for so long?
\nI assume that everyone has set themselves a goal so big that it scared them\u2014and then failed to achieve it. Let\u00b4s be honest we have even failed at smaller goals. Just think about the classic New Year\u2019s resolutions. <\/p>\n
Did they ever survive February?<\/p>\n
The toughest part isn\u2019t finding the goal. The hardest part is breaking that BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) into steps that actually fit into our daily lives.
\nBut every big goal can be achieved! Just think about Dashrath Manjhi, who carved a path through a ridge of hills using only a hammer and a chisel. Reading that, we don\u2019t have any more excuses, or! Haha\u2026
\nThere is a solution for how we can dream big and break that goal into daily, actionable steps. Honestly, I thought everyone knew this. But during a senior management training, when I presented it, nobody did. That confused me. So I thought maybe this is only well known in the sports world. I talked to some athletes\u2014and got the same result. Nobody knew it.<\/p>\n
The Harada Method
\nThe solution is called the Harada Method and gained attention in the sports world when Shohei Othani was linked to it. If you don\u2019t know him, he is the Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods of baseball. He has changed the game of Baseball. Just look at his impressive records, all listed on Wikipedia.
\nAs a teenager, he had the goal of being the #1 draft pick in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. A huge goal!
\nAt the time, it seemed unattainable. Fortunately, he discovered and used the Harada Method.
\nTo be honest, the Harada Method is quite simple. It places a big goal at the center. Then, you break that goal into 8 topics, and those 8 topics into 8 daily actions\/habits.
\nShohei broke his goal down into small daily habits that could be implemented consistently, allowing him to maintain his vision while focusing on the task at hand. Just google \u201cShohei Othani Harada Chart\u201d and you will see multiple images of his Harada Chart.
\nI did exactly the same for Lake Constance. I wrote down my big goal\u2014swimming across the lake\u2014and identified eight topics like nutrition, recovery, training and so on. Then I broke each of these down into eight small habits. It worked because I had a method I could apply every day. Screenshot below:<\/p>\n
Adapting the Framework
\nIn hindsight, 64 daily steps were a bit too much for me. As you can see in my Harada chart (above), I didn\u2019t set eight actions for every single topic\u2014but it still worked. For my next challenges\u2014Lago Maggiore (66km) in June, Lake Lucerne (39km) in July, and Lago di Garda (59km) in September\u2014I simplified things.
\nI kept the big goal at the center but chose just four main topics, breaking them down into also just four actionable steps each. Now I\u2019m down to 16 manageable steps. The original 64 steps were a bit overwhelming, especially during a crisis or a busy business season.<\/p>\n
But that is exactly why tools and frameworks exist. We get inspiration and adapt them to our needs. Sixteen is a doable number for me. Any leader, athlete, or person in a crisis can adopt this approach because it\u2019s practical and actionable.
\nIn my book\u2014launching in early summer\u2014the Harada Method is a core part of my SWIM Method <\/p>\n
Self-Leadership<\/p>\n
Why (the Harada Method sits here)<\/p>\n
Inner Belief<\/p>\n
Momentum<\/p>\n
Try it yourself<\/p>\n
What is our BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)? <\/p>\n
If you want to use this for yourself, take a piece of paper and write your goal in the center. Then, divide the page into the number of topics you need and enter the daily tasks below each topic.
\nIn case you don\u2019t feel \u201ccreative\u201d enough or simply hate drawing, here is a link to my template. I have created this for you, so feel free to use it and share it!
\nHope the Harada Method helps you as much as it has helped me. Let me know your experience. <\/p>\n
All the best,
\nBernhard<\/p>\n
P.S. I\u2019m currently on a multi-year journey to swim The Alpine Seven\u2014339 km across seven iconic lakes\u2014to raise awareness for people living with an illness and to prove that even impossible goals can be achieved with the right system in place. If you want to follow the journey and read my reflections during my time in the water\u2014which is a lot of time\u2014hit the button below.<\/p>\n
Subscribe for more reflections on building a life where \u201cimpossible\u201d goals become a side effect!<\/p>\n
P.P.S. I plan to send this out every Friday morning 5 am CET. But as this is a human-to-human connection, please bear with me if life (or my kids) decides to \u201creorganize\u201d my schedule. I\u2019m a pretty good swimmer, but I haven\u2019t figured out how to swim through a family emergency at a good speed yet! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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