7/28/16

Blueprint for Success



We are on the downhill slide of 2016, so let's revamp our goals to make this our best year yet. To do so we must take action step. How? Set goals that motivate and inspire. Be specific. Generalized statements leads to self-deception. The person whose intention is to become more successful and does not lay concrete steps for accomplishment, sets himself up to be deceived. Saying it but not making plans for attainment causes one to falsely think “I am accomplishing my goal” as there is no guidelines by which to measure results.




1. Plan to Change and to Keep on Changing. In our instant society, we want things to happen immediately. Get real. Learning and living new attitudes, actions, and skills take time to develop. But it does not have to take forever. If you do not start, you will never change. You do it by doing it. You stop by stopping. It is that simple. And that complex.

2. Draw a Mental Picture of Who You Want To Become. See yourself as being thinner and healthier. Visualize yourself being assertive and developing healthy relationships. Picture yourself disciplined and successful. Feel how good it is to live within your income, and to become more open, honest and genuine. See yourself as drug free and high on life, not substances.

3. Determine where you are now.
What are your values? What are your dreams? What are your strengths? Weaknesses? Do you have an accurate knowledge of your capabilities? What are your expectations of yourself? Of others? Can you receive feedback and open communication?

4. Determine your course of action. Determination without plans is fantasy. What do you need from outside yourself? Whose advice do you need to seek? Who has done this before you that can lend support? What change in thinking needs to be addressed? What needs may arise in the future? What are my short, mid, and long-term goals? How can I determine ways to assess staying on target? To whom will I be accountable? What are your plans for handling the down times?

5. Take an attitude check. A goal must include personality change. You do not attract what you want, but what you are. Change is the most imperative price for success and yet the main reason for failure. You must know that you can change. If you are not willing to change, you can’t expect things to get better. Only man shackles himself. Change comes not with words, but with attitude.

6. BEGIN. You start by starting; the greatest determination will never work without action.

7. Expect problems. Motion causes friction. Learn to adjust and refocus. Know the difference between a set back and a defeat. Two steps forward and one step back will still get you to your goal. If a thought or attitude tries to overtake you, you do not have to wait until “tomorrow” to correct it. Get up immediately as soon as you falter. Know that one slip is just that, a slip, not a total failure. Get up, brush yourself off and start over.

8. Focus on successes. Catch yourself doing something right and give yourself an “Atta girl” or an “Atta boy”. Stop for a moment and revel in the feeling of the success. See yourself doing the right things over and over until they become second nature.

Give yourself room to grow. Allow acceptance time and become comfortable with your changes and the resolves will become permanent.

7/26/16

Effective Planning

“You can never rise above your calendar.”  Ed Eudis

Nothing worthwhile is accomplished without planning. Because an occasionally wish comes true, one may erroneously think a goal has been set and attained. Here are strategies to move you beyond hoping and wishing to a plan with results.

Plan to plan and to keep on planning.  Schedule in time for planning and evaluation.  The more time one spends in planning means less time spent in execution.  Without a plan to continue planning,  new problems may go unnoticed until many hours of execution time has been spent.

Prepare a mission statement.  Determine the primary purpose and the ways to get there. 
    * Strategic planning = vision casting, big picture, overall scope of project, enthusiasm
    * Operational planning = who, what, when, where, cost, time line, means of evaluation

Determine where you are now. 
  •  who and what do we have within the organization?
  • are the right people at the top to accomplish our goals?
  • do we have complete knowledge of the mission? 
  • do we have complete knowledge of our capabilities?  of my team’s capabilities? 
  • are we set up to receive constant feedback and open communication?
  • who and what do we need from outside the organization?
  • whose advice do we need to seek?  who has done this before us?
  • what trends are developing?  where is the market going?
  • what needs should be addressed now?  What needs may arise in the future?
  • who are we serving now and in the future?
  • what needs are we meeting now or will need to meet in the future? 
  • what are our short, mid, and long-term steps (goals)?
  • who is responsible for what area (chain of command)?
  • how do we make our objectives known to those above us, those below us, the public?
  • what will be our expenses and source of funding/income?
  • how will we determine ways to assess staying on target?

Prioritize.  Priorities are those things that come first in importance and take precedence over the little two minute jobs that seem so important. They are those things that bring the most results and personal satisfaction when completed or engaged in.

Plan and schedule.  It takes both to get results.  Remember, planning is the “what” you need or want to do to make your life meaningful and effective. Scheduling is the “when” you will do the things you have planned.

Use effective planning to make all your dreams come true.