Complete Guide
A proven goal-setting framework developed by Japanese track coach Takashi Harada. Used by Olympic athletes like Shohei Ohtani and adopted by Fortune 500 companies worldwide.
Before becoming a consultant, Takashi Harada was a junior high school track and field coach at what was considered the worst school out of 380 in Osaka, Japan. The school was located in one of the most economically depressed areas of the city.
After joining the school, Harada set out to transform not just the athletics program, but the entire culture. Within three years, his school became one of the best for athletics in the region. Remarkably, many students also started making dramatic academic improvements.
The secret? Harada developed a systematic approach to goal-setting that focused on self-reliance and personal accountability. As Harada himself puts it:
“The reason people fail to achieve their goals is not because they lack ability, but because they set and pursue those goals the wrong way.”
Today, elements of the Harada Method have been adopted by organizations ranging from manufacturing giants like Toyota to healthcare institutions, technology firms, and professional sports teams.
The essence of the Harada Method is self-reliance — the confidence and ability to develop your skills to the extent that you become virtually irreplaceable.
Before you can lead others, you must master leading yourself through daily structure and discipline.
Growth is built through disciplined daily practice and individual responsibility, not bursts of motivation.
The method forces you to create systems and habits that make success inevitable.
Breaking down big goals into 64 concrete actions removes ambiguity and makes progress measurable.
Clarify a concrete, meaningful objective aligned with your values. This becomes the center of your OW64 chart.
Identify your personal "why" — the deeper motivation that will sustain you when things get difficult.
Assess your strengths, weaknesses, and current experience using the 33 Questions for Self-Reliance.
Convert your goal into daily, trackable actions using the Open Window 64 chart and supporting templates.
Execute with discipline using the Routine Check Sheet and Daily Diary. Seek mentorship and support.
A self-assessment tool where you rate yourself on 33 descriptors (1-10 scale). This helps identify areas for growth and builds self-awareness before goal-setting.
Rate yourself 1-10 on each:
There is no target score — this is purely for self-reflection. The goal is to understand where you are now and track growth over time.
The core planning template where you work backward from your goal to identify supporting steps and mentors.
The process includes:
The signature tool of the Harada Method. A visual framework that breaks your main goal into 64 concrete micro-actions.
Structure:
P1-P8 = 8 Pillars • Outer cells = 64 Actions (8 per pillar)
Why it works: You can't fake your way through 64 action items. The specificity creates clarity and makes progress measurable.
A daily checklist derived from your 64 tasks, designed to build habits without overwhelming you.
Guidelines:
An hourly time-tracking tool showing planned vs. actual activities, helping you monitor progress against your routine checklist.
Purpose:
The most famous student of the Harada Method is baseball phenomenon Shohei Ohtani. At just 15 years old as a high school freshman, Ohtani began applying Takashi Harada's teachings.
His central goal: Get drafted #1 by all 8 Japanese professional baseball teams.
He created an extraordinarily detailed OW64 chart mapping out exactly what he needed to do across 8 domains including pitching, batting, mental strength, and character development.
The rest is history. Ohtani became one of the greatest two-way players in baseball history, demonstrating that meticulous planning combined with disciplined execution can produce extraordinary results.
Template 1
Central Goal:
Get promoted to Senior Engineer
8 Pillars:
Sample Actions:
Template 2
Central Goal:
Run a marathon in under 4 hours
8 Pillars:
Sample Actions:
Template 3
Central Goal:
Launch profitable SaaS with 100 paying customers
8 Pillars:
Sample Actions:
Ready to create your own Harada chart? Here's how to begin:
What's the one thing that, if achieved, would make this year a success?
What are the major life domains or skill areas that support your goal?
For each pillar, define 8 specific, measurable actions you can take.
Pick your top 10 daily habits and track them religiously.