![]() Do you have the skills you need to reach your goal? If not, can you acquire them? This is not meant to discourage you rather, it should motivate you to set realistic goals, and seek out help if needed. How will you measure your progress? For example, if your goal is to save money, by how much would you need to cut your spending? As writer Paulo Coelho says, “No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.” Describe exactly how you define success, and the actions you’re willing to take to achieve it. This is the “who, what, when, where, and why” of your goal. Now capture it in as much detail as you possibly can, using the S.M.A.R.T. Gail Matthews of Dominican University of California found that simply writing down a goal increases your likelihood of achieving it by 42 percent.īegin by picturing your goal. Once you’ve decided on your goal, write it down. Now that the importance of having a plan is clear, here are four steps you can take to create your own foundation for action. ![]() It takes your goal out of the world of fantasy, and into reality. When you make a plan, you’re creating the blueprint to get from where you are now to where you want to be in the future. You come to learn about your personal tendencies, inclinations, and aversions-and how to overcome them! It helps uncover your passions and priorities, and whether they reflect your true values. To create a plan is to begin to understand yourself. Once you have a plan in place, you’ll be surprised by how much you’re able to accomplish. If your goals have always been just beyond your grasp, it may be because you’ve never created an effective plan for reaching them. This helps you feel more in control, by showing you what you can change and what is outside your control. Planning helps you focus on the task at hand-you know what you need to do today, and why. When you know how to get from one place to another, you’re less likely to suffer from “paralysis by analysis.” Planning prevents you from wasting your energy on unnecessary tasks and, as author Brian Tracy says, “every minute spent in planning saves as many as ten minutes in execution.” Here are four specific benefits of planning: ![]() But traversing new territory is easier when you have a map-whether that’s taking a vacation, earning a promotion, or starting a new business. What do the eight percent who succeed understand that the rest of us (apparently) don’t? They’ve learned that “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” The benefits of planningĬreating a plan may seem like an inconvenience when you want your journey to a better life to begin now. But without a plan for achieving those goals, research says 92 percent of them will ultimately fail. Many people have goals, such as finding a new job, making more money, or losing weight. To be clear, having a plan is different than having a goal. But it’s exactly what you’re doing if you’re not creating an action plan for your life. It’s a recipe for disaster-or at least a very unstable structure. If the thought of starting without a plan sounds ridiculous, you’re right. How would you begin? Grab a hammer and some nails and just go for it? Or draw up blueprints, clear the ground, and prepare a solid foundation first? ![]() Imagine you woke up one day and decided to build yourself a house.
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