Guide

What is the Harada method?

The Harada method is a goal-setting system created by Takashi Harada, a Japanese track and field coach. Its most famous tool is a 9×9 chart: one goal in the middle, eight areas that support it, and eight concrete actions for each of those areas. That is 64 actions on a single sheet of paper.

The chart Shohei Ohtani made in high school

The method became widely known because baseball star Shohei Ohtani filled one in as a high-school student. His central goal was to be the first-round draft pick of eight professional teams. Around it he wrote areas such as body, control, pitch speed, mental strength and even luck — and under luck, everyday actions like picking up litter and being polite. The point is that every big goal breaks down into small, repeatable things you can actually do.

How the 64-cell chart is laid out

The grid is made of nine 3×3 blocks. The centre block holds your goal and its eight supporting areas (often called drivers). Each driver is then copied into the middle of one of the outer blocks, where its eight actions sit around it.

1. Centre cell: one clear goal, written so you would know when you've reached it.
2. Eight drivers around it: the areas that would make the goal happen.
3. Eight actions per driver: specific things you can do this week, not wishes.

How to fill in your own Harada method template

1. Pick one goal for the next few months. Make it concrete and checkable.
2. Ask: what eight things would have to be true for this to happen? Those are your drivers.
3. For each driver, list eight actions that are small enough to start today.
4. Don't try to do all 64 at once. Choose the five to eight with the most leverage and start there.
5. Review weekly: keep what's working, swap in new actions as others become habits.

That last step is where most people stall. Filling in 64 cells feels productive, but a sheet with 64 equal priorities is hard to act on. Our step-by-step Mandala chart guide covers how to stage actions week by week.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Harada method?

A goal-setting system developed by Japanese coach Takashi Harada. Its best-known tool is a 9×9 chart: one central goal, eight supporting areas around it, and eight concrete actions for each area — 64 actions in total.

Is the Harada chart the same as a Mandala chart?

The grid is the same shape. The 3×3 layout takes its name from the mandala, a symbolic diagram with roots in Buddhist and Hindu tradition, and the Harada method uses it as its planning sheet. People search for it as a Mandala chart, Mandalart, Harada chart or Ohtani goal chart.

How do you use the Harada method?

Write one goal in the centre, choose eight areas that would make it happen, then list eight specific actions for each area. Then pick a few actions to do every week and review your progress regularly.