I had the privilege of being a business mentor during a speed mentoring session at the Center for Women and Enterprise Leadership Conference which took place last week. I mentored a few women who had great visions for their businesses. One of the women I spoke with had some issues with her organization and some ideas, but she was stuck because she didn't know how to move forward. I asked her if she had written down what her ideas were and she said no. That was a problem right there. Sometimes we miss and overlook the simple solutions to the problems we are facing. Writing your ideas and goals down is the first step to getting clear on what needs to be done; it is a big part of planning. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Do you usually have ideas that run through your head on a daily basis? Do you write them down? Do you think you would have achieved more if you had written them down? When you write down your ideas and goals this is what happens:
You hold yourself accountable and you are more likely to take action
You are able to get clear and generate more ideas for the steps you need to take
You will get more support from your team because they see clearly what needs to be done
I remember when I was running my side business as a direct sales representative a few years ago; my goal was to attain a new level of sales volume. I wrote my goal down, and after reviewing the rewards associated with the next level of sales, I quickly determined that my first goal was not what I wanted (this was while working full time as an engineer, as a mom, wife, and other roles I had). I asked myself how on earth I was going to sell that much….well, I took my pen and my planner and got to work. I wrote down my goal, and I started getting ideas on what I needed to do to achieve the goal. I looked at it every week, I planned more and more ideas rolled in. There was an added bonus from the direct sales company to give everyone a boost and get to their goals faster. If I didn't have a plan, I wouldn't have been able to take advantage of the added bonus. Success comes when preparation meets opportunity. Having a plan in place makes you ready for the opportunities that come your way. I did meet my goal and continued to grow my sales year after year. Here's a simple 4 Step process to planning for success.
What is your mission - Why do you exist? Why does your organization exist?
What is your vision? - Where do you see yourself, What do you want to achieve? Where do you want to go?
What are your goals? - What are the specific things/programs/products/services that will help you fulfill your vision and mission?
What are your daily Action Items - What do you need to do daily to achieve your goals?
For more comprehensive planning, you will also need to determine what resources you will need, what your capabilities are, what opportunities are available, and so on. If you want a solid plan for success in your career or business for the coming year, book me for your comprehensive strategy session. Thank you for reading and Happy Planning!