World Series Champion Shohei Ohtani Predicted This Would All Happen When He Was 15 Years Old. Here's His Goal-Setting Method That Anyone Can Use. The MLB superstar's success did not come as a surprise to him. He had a plan.
By David James
Key Takeaways
- Back in high school, Shohei Ohtani created a very specific list of goals.
- He credits using the Harada Method for achieving them.
- Ohtani and his Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in five games to become the 2024 World Series Champions.
Yankees fans, maybe you'll want to go read something else.
The 2024 World Series is over and the Los Angeles Dodgers won the championship in five games, led by their star who some call the best player in the game, Shohei Ohtani. Check out some of these incredible stats:
Once-in-a-lifetime performance by Shohei Ohtani this season ?
— ESPN (@espn) October 31, 2024
? Started the 50/50 club
? Won World Series in his first postseason
? First to reach 400 total bases since 2001
? First to finish top-2 in HR and SB since 1909
? Most single-season games (16) with a HR & SB ever pic.twitter.com/one7fmxlg3
Fitness coach Dan Founder recently took to Threads to break down the Harada Method, the system of setting and achieving goals that Ohtani learned from his high school coach Takashi Harada and utilized to accomplish so much in sports, including hoisting The Commissioner's Trophy. Here's how Founder broke it down:
"Here Shohei Ohtani's list of goals, which is insane to look at in hindsight," Founder wrote.
- Age 18: Join a MLB team
- Age 19: Master English and reach AAA
- Age 20: Called up to the majors, make 1.5 billion JPY (~13 million USD)
- Age 21: Starting rotation, 16 wins
- Age 22: Win the Cy Young award
- Age 23: Member of Japan WBC team
- Age 24: Throw a no-hitter and 25 wins
- Age 25: Throw fastest pitch in the world 175 kph (~108mph)
- Age 26: Win the World Series and get married
- Age 27: Member of Japan WBC team & MVP
- Age 28: 1st son is born
- Age 29: Throw 2nd no-hitter
- Age 30: Get most wins by a Japanese pitcher (in 1 MLB season?)
- Age 31: 1st daughter is born
- Age 32: Win 2nd World Series
- Age 33: 2nd son is born
- Age 34: Win 3rd World Series
- Age 35: Member of Japan WBC team
- Age 36: Break the strike out record?
- Age 37: 1st son starts baseball
- Age 38: Stats drop, start to think about retirement
- Age 39: Decide to retire at end of next season
- Age 40: Throw no-hitter in my very last game
- Age 41: Return to Japan
- Age 42: Introduce the American system to Japan?
Founder then broke down the framework of the Harada Method to show how Ohtani has achieved so much of this lofty list and more.
Step 1: Grade yourself on self-reliance
Using the following 33 categories, rate yourself on a scale of one to ten of how these words describe you, with one being "not accurate" and ten being "the most accurate."
- Accountable
- Adaptable
- Authentic
- Brave
- Capable
- Caring
- Confident
- Creative
- Determined
- Ethical
- Flexible
- Highly skilled
- Honest
- Imaginative
- Independent
- Initiative
- Innovative
- Inspired – love to work
- Inquisitive
- Empowered
- Knowledgeable
- Motivated
- Organized
- Personable
- Prepared
- Realistic
- Responsible
- Self-managed
- Strategic
- Strong-willed
- Supportive
- Trustworthy
- Visionary
Step 2: Create your long-term goal
"This is your north star where your actions will be directed towards," explains Founder. "It will organize your goals, purposes, self-analysis, and action plan."
Step 3: Analyze obstacles
Once you determine the biggest hurdles between you and success, "you then create countermeasures to solve those obstacles before they happen," says Founder. "This helps you plan tasks and routines to achieve the goal when the going gets rough."
Related: Want to Inspire Your Team for Success? Check Out These 11 Quotes From World Series Champs.
Step 4: Create an Open 64 chart
This is a chart made up of eight nine-box grids, 72 boxes total. At the center of each nine-box grid, you put a big goal that will serve as a pillar of your overall achievement and surround that with eight small tasks that will help you achieve that big goal. In the end you will have 64 mini-tasks and routines that support getting to your long-term goals.
So for example, if one of your goals is being in great physical shape, you'd list eight tasks needed to get there — setting a workout schedule, committing to healthy eating, getting a health club membership, and the like.
Step 5: Create a checklist of routines
"It's not enough to set a goal," says Founder. "You must set a system of traits that will make the goal an inevitability. Have a list you check daily to ensure you're taking the actions needed to make your vision a reality."
Step 6: Keep a daily performance journal
"The journal is broken down into tasks to be completed and reflections on one's performance at the end of the day," writes Founder. "The journal builds self-awareness while keeping you aligned with your target."
Related: Alex Rodriguez's 4 Major League Keys to Success
Step 7: Enlist help
Founder ends by saying that the final step is to connect with a coach and a supportive community. "We cannot achieve things on our own," he says. "Find a coach who can help you achieve success faster and stay accountable. Find people around you who can support and assist you on the way to achieving your goal."
