Who Has Time to Develop a Plan?

We live in such a busy world, don’t we? While we are all trying to be more successful, every one of us still needs to take some time to “plan our work, before we work our plan.” 

I recently had a Client who said, “Are you kidding me? I barely have time to get everything done as it is. Now you think I should allocate some time to planning?” As soon as he completed his statement, I think it actually occurred to him what he had just said. He had realized that he needed a better plan to get things completed correctly and on time. I know you have heard the old adage: If you don’t have time to do it right, where will you find the time to do it over?

Doesn’t that same rule apply here? I am sometimes guilty of the same thing, that is, not planning the detailed steps of my work and then being disappointed when everything does not turn out quite like I had hoped. What can we do? I am glad you asked. 

There is never a bad time to plan tasks we wish to accomplish, but this is particularly true as we approach a new year. It has been said that the best time to plant an Oak tree is 20 years ago. However, the second best time is today! As you approach the end of this year and start planning for the upcoming one: 

–         Set some positive Goals for you and your Team.

–         Decide what Achievements you really want to accomplish.

–         Lay out the Steps necessary to reach these.

–         Determine what your intended Time Table will be for each step.

–         Decide Who will be involved. Do you need additional people or is it something you can hire an outside contractor for?

–         Establish some solid Measurements to track your level of progress.

–         Outline what Specific Activities you will use to monitor this progress and review them with your Team.

–         Finally, Celebrate Your Success and share the achievements with the rest of your Team!

Follow these eight steps, and I believe you will be well on your way to achieving higher levels of success!