Are you stuck somewhere between knowing what to do to achieve success and doing it? Learn to define your vision and purpose, develop an action plan, and create the mindset to execute things consistently — especially when you get stuck.

Step 1 – Define Your Vision

“Your vision will often change as your life goals do. But research has proven that, to create a successfully sustainable life and business, your core values must never change.”

The Dalai Lama defines true happiness as living to your full potential. It’s about being your best through having and achieving goals. It begins with the realization of what is your true purpose in this world. For the majority reading this, that shared purpose is about helping, guiding, and serving others to be their best through the martial arts. It is from this purpose that you’re driven to create a personal vision rooted in the foundation of your core values. Now, only you can truly define what those values mean to you. The more universal ones are integrity, respect, family, honesty, commitment, and service. Your vision will often change as your life goals do. However, research has shown that to create a successfully sustainable life and business, your core values must remain constant. They are the one constant that keeps you grounded and balanced through life’s ups and downs.

Being a small business owner, you make the most of the choices and decisions that affect your business. The challenge with this is that it is easy to mistake a fixed mindset, centered on ego, for valued choices. Your success is contingent upon your having the humility to operate from a growth mindset and to recognize that you can continually improve and do better.

Wake up every day, look into the mirror, and state out loud, “I am a white belt.” Always question why you do what you do in your life and business, and never believe that you have all the answers. Be committed to being a student for life through constant learning and by having mentors, coaches, and networking groups to help advise you as needed.

The good news is that you can develop the habits needed to be your best. It has been proven that habits such as eating healthy, being goal-oriented, or having clear-cut direction can be formed if practiced consistently for 21 days. The challenge is in sustaining those good habits day in and day out after that. To do so, you need to create a schedule and manage your time effectively. Stick to it and consistently practice the habits that help you achieve your goals.

Armed with clearly defined core values and a growth mindset, next, write down what you truly believe is your purpose. Ask yourself what will your life and business look like in three to five years. How will you make a positive impact on your community, truly serve people with integrity, and be a company that people want to be loyal to and passionate about? All of that and still be a profitable business?

Don’t forget to include your personal life goals, such as creating financial security for your family and their future, giving back to make a difference, and donating your time and resources to causes you believe in. Review them periodically and make any necessary adjustments.

Step 2 – Create Your Action Plan

Single school owners/operators are the majority of career professionals within the martial arts industry. The challenge with this business model is that it’s “personality-driven” and dependent upon you being there, or it doesn’t work. If you should get sick or cannot teach for any lengthy period, your income and family’s welfare could be severely compromised, and your clients may not get served. If you choose to sell your business, a potential buyer could see that its success is contingent upon you being there to run it. This business model is one of the biggest reasons why 99% of small enterprises fail.

To overcome this challenge and create an effective action plan, you need to make the shift to an “entrepreneurial mindset.” You need to be working on your business, not simply in it. In this way, you create the freedom you deserve to do what you want to do when you want to do it. It’s about developing an action plan that transitions you from being owned by your business to truly owning it.

Now, I can hear some of you who are reading this saying to yourself, “Well, I love to teach. Why would I want to sit behind a desk instead of being out on the floor?”

Would you rather have the freedom to teach when you want to versus having no freedom because you have to teach? A well-executed action plan gives you the freedom to choose how you would like to spend your time.

One of the most effective ways to develop an entrepreneurial mindset is to find mentors or groups of like-minded school owners whom you respect and learn from. Replicate their behaviors and practices that align with your vision. You’ve heard it a million times. “Don’t try to reinvent the wheel; just learn to drive the car better.” It is essential to have people you trust to bounce your ideas off of before you implement them. This humble act alone is a smart business move and can save you a significant amount of time and money.

Good to Great by Jim Collins and E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber are two must-read books that can help you to realize your vision. The first one will give you the principles to develop a successful and sustainable business. The second will provide you with the blueprint to build an entrepreneurial action plan.

When writing your plan, you must ask yourself a series of key questions. “What is the best path to get me from today to where I plan to be in three to five years? What programs, products, and policies will drive and sustain my business? Are they in line with my core values and personal vision? Who is the team I want to build to help me fulfill this plan, and what are their roles?” Be mindful that you can’t delegate what you can’t define. Therefore, you need to have a written action plan that your team understands; without question, they should be clear about their responsibilities.

Step 3 – Fulfill Your Vision and Execute Your Plan

Being your best isn’t about being perfect. It’s about staying focused on your vision, consistently implementing your action plan, and never giving up. It’s easy to be your best when things are going your way, but can you do so when things are not?

When faced with challenges, put them into the perspective that they offer you the best opportunity to learn and grow to better your life and business. If you can embrace your challenges like a best friend, you’ll be much more effective in overcoming them.

When you hit a wall and get stuck by a challenge, make an effort to recognize that you are not in control of the circumstances. Take complete ownership of it by acting from a positive mindset. This mindset will help you gain control over the process of solving it. You can move forward toward a solution by taking actions, no matter how small, that align with your vision and plan. As the saying goes, “If you’re not moving forward, then you’re standing still.”

Most importantly, being your best is not just about fulfilling your vision; it’s also about being the best you can be. It’s about helping others to achieve their own goals as well. Provide your team with an environment that fosters learning through practice, promoting growth and sustainability. Show them that their opinions matter by listening and implementing the suggestions and ideas that are in line with your values. Constantly share and reinforce your vision to help keep them focused on doing what needs to happen today to sustain your school while also working towards your goals for tomorrow. Always be mindful that you cannot do this without a team that’s committed to your vision.

Make it your passion to have integrity, be competent, and possess excellent leadership skills. Always give more than you get and make a difference. Be committed to a learning and growing mindset. Establish your core values, define your vision and purpose, and develop an action plan. Understand that there’s a huge difference between knowing and doing. Take consistent action to be your best as you fulfill your blueprint for success.