Nothing Changes Without Planning

Right now I'm "doing what's in front of me" so to speak. However, when I decided to write articles, I knew I wanted it to be consistent so that I would be sending a professional "signal" to all of you. That took some planning. We most definitely have to know what we want out of life in order to get it. That takes some thought and some more planning. Do you want to travel to Australia? Do you want to be a Doctor? The part of planning that involves the big picture is called the Vision. Successful people use their visions to help determine who the best team members will be. When the going gets tough they use it to hang on to, to enable them to let go of the small distractions that can seem huge without a vision. Let's say you are going to have a growth period in your business. You are ready to hire another employee. You will need to have enough money set aside for your expenses plus the salary or compensation of that person until they are trained and are able to generate more income for your business. By taking the time to plan you can now execute your vision without going through the added anxiety of not having enough money for day-to-day operations. You are then able to carry on in a relaxed pace. Are you aware that every hour spent in effective planning saves three to four in execution? Effective planning enables us to sort out those things that can be delegated to others. Planning is a time for prioritizing too. I could be "busy" with many other things besides writing this e-letter. My desk needs straightening. However, there will be time for that after I've finished with my priority. --------------------------------------- Here are ten tips that are suggestions for planning out your year. 1. Remember to mark off your vacation time. 2. Choose goals that align with your values. 3. Say "no" when it's a should, a could or an ought'a. 4. Mark off time just for yourself. 5. Decide what you can delegate. 6. Prioritize everyday 7. Use 10 daily habits. (more about this later) 8. Time the things you do so you know how long it really takes. 9. Remember, people first and results second. 10. Create a personal mission statement for yourself.