”I Never Do Easy!”

“Sensei Says” for the week:

Dear Parents,

So what does “I NEVER DO EASY!” really mean to you?

When you learn to use this concept it can be one of the most powerful tools for raising amazing kids!

It starts as just words, but repeated these words and thoughts become your actions. Then those actions start to become your habits. These habits repeated consistently over time develop into your attitude and how you view yourself and the world around you. This evolves into your character. Ultimately your character becomes your destiny.

…..and it all started as just words? (Ever wonder why we say “Try My Best” every time we bow?)

But here is a better way to help explain what this training theme can mean to you. High performers, Straight “A” students, karate black belts, top athletes and all highly successful people have learned to live by “I Never Do Easy!” This ends up being the only way they know how to live. They have all become “leaders”.

So what is leader?

Leadership and the development of leaders has been my life’s passion. Although I was somewhat of a leader in high school where I was captain of the soccer team, it was really ignited just before turning 18 when I entered the U.S. Naval Academy. This obsession has only gotten more intense over the years. Even as a freshman I remember taking basic Leadership Classes. One school of thought is to just study great leaders and find out what they do. The “character study” is another method used to teach leadership by listing the character traits great leaders possess. But, I immediately realized that if it was that simple there would be many more outstanding leaders out there? Outstanding leader are few and far between.

My research and studies over the years has now made me realize that every one of us can be a leader, and leadership is fairly simple and can be taught!

It really boils down to this week’s training theme “I NEVER DO EASY!” In order to be a true leader you have to be “worthy of being followed”. It does not come with a title at work or a rank in the military. Leadership is earn by who you are and what you do. So there is it. It is simple, but takes hard consistent work – you just have to become the very best person you can be! You cannot be just good. People do not follow people that are just good. You cannot even be excellent. That is not good enough. You have to be OUTSTANDING! And you have to be outstanding ALL THE TIME. All of us have the potential of being outstanding all the time!

So, what is outstanding? The difference between excellent and outstanding is very small. It has been referred to as the “two millimeters”. While it may not seem like the amount of effort between excellent and outstanding is very small the results and payoff are HUGE! This is worth repeating – with slightly more consistent effort above excellent the payoff is enormous!

So to be a leader all you have to do is remember to always do the things 93% of the population won’t do. Most will either take the easy way out, do good enough or even put in an excellent effort. My most favorite saying that help remind me to do that extra two millimeters is this: “There is no competition at the top!” That is why it seems so easy for that 7% at the top.

That is the good news. When outstanding becomes a habit and just who you are it becomes so easy it seems effortless!

Our new Leadership 3.0 program’s objective is to tap into this process. From our website: “Every child has a leaders inside them that just needs to be let out!”

I NEVER DO EASY – how about your child?

Till next week…….good parenting,

Sensei

Ohana Karate – “Actually we do make Ninjas and Superheroes here………………we turn kids into Ninjas and we turn their parents into their superheroes!”

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