What are your goals?

I've been going through some changes lately personally and professionally. I'm seeing how important having worthy goals and Ideals are. Without setting goals how do we really know where we're going?

My question is, as It pertains to Jiu Jitsu is, what are your goals? Are your goals measurable and definable? What I mean is, are your goals vague, like "I want to get better at Jiu Jitsu." Or are you goals well defined, for example, to train 2 times a week, for the next year and a half, so you can get your blue belt? Maybe you want to train 2 times a day for the next 6 weeks to get ready for NAGA. Maybe you want to train 6 days a week, 2-3 times a day for the next 3 years to win ADCC? Sound like a lot? That's how the competition is training.

So what are your goals?

My goal is to keep living in the moment, keep appreciating what I have, keep loving my life tremendously :)

I hope that helps!

Compete every chance I get this month on

My primary goal right now is to win the Gracie Nationals and Worlds in 2013. In order to accomplish this I need measurable sub-goals. They are:

1. I must add 4 reliable takedowns to my game. I don't need an entire wrestling subset, but I must be able to put the fight on the ground on my terms. I will continue to structure and further refine my training schedule to reflect and subsequently address this need.

2. If I expect my body to perform like a champion, I must fuel it like a champion. I will continue to refine my diet and exercise unparalleled self control. This means a measurable number of calories, nutrients, minerals, etc... in order to fit into the proper weight class while still maintaining elite performance

3. I must have elite level conditioning. At the Gracie Worlds I got tired at around the 10 minute mark and stopped being the aggressor. I was prepared to fight for 2 hours at 85-90%, but I was not prepared for 15 minutes at 100%. That will be addressed and corrected. I will spend at least one hour per day outside of training conditioning my body, my heart, and my mind to push the pace and break my opponent's will to continue. My conditioning and desire to win will destroy him psychologically.

4. I will compete and win once per month between now and then in order to prepare my mind and build the proper triggers and routines to approach the Gracie tournaments in the proper frame of mind.

6 Steps to Turn Desires into Goals
1. Fix in your mind the exact amount of something you desire. Be definite.
I will win at least 2 minor competitions in 2012, Gracie Nationals in 2013, and Gracie Worlds in 2013 at the blue belt level in both Gi and No Gi.
2. Determine exactly what you are prepared to give to get what you desire.
I will train 6 days a week concerning myself with only triangle chokes in and out of the gym.
3. Determine a definite date when you intend to acquire what you desire.
January 20, 2013 I will win Gracie Nationals and on (date hasn’t been set) I will win Gracie Worlds.
4. Create a definite plan to acquire what you desire and begin at once whether you are ready or not to put this plan into action.
I will only work on triangle choke finishes and set ups. I will drill a specific series ending in a triangle choke finish at least 20 times a day and finish only with triangles during free roll.
5. Write out a clear and concise statement of the amount of that you desire and name the time limit for its acquisition. State what you intend to give in return for the desire and describe clearly the plan in which you intend to accumulate it.
I will have won Gracie Worlds, Gracie Nationals, and 2 minor competitions at the blue belt level in Gi and No Gi by this time next year. I will do this by triangle choking every opponent I face. I will accomplish this goal by drilling and working on a triangle choke from every position each day that I am at Jiu-Jitsu.
6. Read your written statement aloud twice daily, before you go to sleep, and when you wake up. As you read, see and feel yourself already in possession of what you desire.
Yep.

Black belt by 30 years old and my own affiliation by then as well.

Damn, the Deacatur boys ain't fucking around no more :)

My goals are to keep working hard with my new strength coach and bullet proof my weak pussy rotator cuffs lol, fight again in November and have a more impressive fight, and hopefully win by electric chair lol. Get the HW belt and diet down to LHW and get the belt there, then turn pro :)

10th degree red belt in 1 year

Good question Alder :)
I was thinking about it since the Worlds really...
I've been asking myself what I wanna do with my life and what I want to accomplish while I can and jiu jitsu was in the mix.

1. I've let my coaching took over my "own time" for drilling and flow rolling with people.
That's definitely something I want to overcome to help me with 2. (I'd love to hear from Marcelo or any other guys at crazy levels manage to juggle between coaching and being an active competitor, going overseas on regular basis...)

2. I want to compete more!
The Worlds reminded me how fucking cool the competitive circuit is. Due to shit loads of injuries and a lot of fucking around I lost precious time in pain/rehab avoiding surgeries.

3. Taking more care of myself.
I'm seeing now a bunch of massage therapists, physio to get me back up physically to 100%
Looking more after my diet, fine tune it (My GP went crazy when she saw my cholesterol level saying I had some super healthy levels. I have to attribute it to the Slow carb diet from Tim Ferris!)

4. Short term goals:
-Getting my fucking purple! Time to kick my own ass and put some extra time drilling gotta get shit perfect!
-Getting stronger. Kettlebells did awesome for me so far but I need to upgrade my routine and probably do 2-3 sessions a week of Kbs
-Giving the Worlds another go next year and not settling for less than first. (The more I watch my match the more I wanna slam my head against the wall. I'm way to passing with my game and I don't impose it. I've been forcing myself to be more aggressive with getting the mount/ top position than relying too much on my bottom game.
-Winning some major comps in NZ and stop being too selective with the tournaments (wrestling, jiu jitsu, gi even?...)
-doing the split


I feel like running my gym slowed down my progression significantly... It's a weird feeling. I wanna compete, I wanna be the best but I also love seeing my friends getting better and winning tournaments, like Henry Tang just a year of training and he's been crushing the local comps and made first at the Gracie Worlds. It's so fucking cool to see someone that didn't know shit before meeting you is doing amazing!

All the coaches out there that competes feel free to drop some knowledge!


Long term goals:
-Black belt of course
-keep on competing and at each level
-Spreading the jiu jitsu love
-Having a crack at MMA (Getting sick of people shitting on jiu jitsu and saying that ground shit in MMA is boring as fuck! Bring Jiu Jitsu beatdowns back mission! LOL)