 Dear :
I'm constantly amazed that people are disappointed with the results in their personal and professional lives when they have no plan for their lives. And by a "plan" I don't mean a complicated matrix - I simply mean a plan - some type of written plan.
How do you know you have achieved success if you haven't mapped out what success is to you? Why would you be surprised that all you're doing is making ends meet when that's where your day-to-day actions are taking you?
To take it one step further - imagine you are going on a trip to someplace you've never been. You don't take a map because you have a "general idea" of where you want to go. How long do you believe it will take you to get there? How much of your time and energy and resouces will you waste getting there? Now imagine the same trip well-planned out. It's a no-brainer to see your life in a similar fashion. You'll get where you want to go much faster with a plan.
This newsletter is designed to provoke your brain into taking action to improve your life. In the colums below you will find hints tips and ideas to make a strategic plan for yourself. DON'T put it off.
Warm Regards,
Sarah Zink
P.S. Are you writing a newsletter and need some "snippets" of information? You are welcome to quote anything in this e-zine, provided you give appropriate credit.
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A personal mission statement helps you by making it possible for you to identify your core values and beliefs. A personal mission statement is "an articulation of what you're all about and what success looks like to you."
But I want you to keep it simple. Don't get into some convoluted, weeks-long process. Save that type of activity it for later, after you've become more familiar with yourself and the process of using a mission statement to set and work toward your goals.
Step 1: Identify Past Successes. Spend some time identifying four or five examples where you have had personal success in recent years. These successes could be at work, in your community, at home, etc. Write them down. Try to identify whether there is a common theme -- or themes -- to these examples. Write them down. Step 2: Identify Core Values. Develop a list of attributes that you believe identify who you are and what your priorities are. The list can be as long as you need. Once your list is complete, see if you can narrow your values to five or six most important values. Finally, see if you can choose the one value that is most important to you. (Click HERE to reqeust a list of 100 core values) Step 3: Identify Potential Contributions. Make a list of the ways you could make a difference - at work, at home, in your community.
Step 4: Identify Goals. Spend some time thinking about your priorities in life and the goals you have for yourself. Make a list of your personal goals, first in the short-term (3 - 6 months) and the long-term (12 - 18 months). After you've become more familiar with the process, you can extend your goals to three to five years.
Step 5: Write Your Mission Statement. Based on the first four steps and a better understanding of yourself, begin writing your personal mission statement.
If you would like Sarah to come and speak
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If you would like to receive the results of last month's survey, please click HERE.
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Be Clear, Be Reasonable, Be Committed
Be Clear: CLARITY determines your goals. Assess yourself - know what your purpose is, and know what you are passionate about. (to request a list of assessment questions, click HERE). You must also create your personal mission statement. Your mission statement is your compass - it determines the direction you will take to reach your goals.
See below for the five-step process to create your personal mission statement.
Be Reasonable: WHAT'S YOUR ROADMAP? Make sure your goals are achievable, not out-of-reach. Use Goals to set the broad objectives, Strategies to define the approaches you will take to achieve the goals, and Tactics to define the tools you will use to get there.
Be Committed: Commit to yourself - never hold back on your efforts to achieve your dreams. Commit to excellence - do everything well. Finally, commit to others - don't leave a virtual "trail of bodies" of people you've sacrificed to achieve your dreams.
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Goal Setting Isn't Enough!
Be wary of spending too much time with your strategic PLANNING, and not enough on strategic EXECUTION.
It's entirely too easy to "make believe" you have a grasp on your personal and professional strategy because you have a plan, when in reality, you're doing nothing to move forward with your plan.
How Do you Move Forward? Every day, you need to commit to take at least one action that is direct alignment toward one of your strategic goals.
Baby Steps: If beginning moving toward your goals seem overwhelming, use the "Baby Step" plan: take a step toward your goal that can be accomplished in 30 minutes or less.
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Don't Quit!
5 ways to keep moving forward.
Forget Regret - There's not a person on this planet who hasn't done things they regret; however, it's the successful ones who move past their mistakes. The mistakes you have made in the past don't define you - your actions from today forward will.
Learn from Failure - One of the most profound things I ever read was this: "Regret is an emotion - it is a feeling of disappointment along with a modest amount of shame or guilt. To learn from failure, we have to move past our emotions and figure out what went wrong."
Ask for Help - You are not alone. It may feel that way sometimes, but there are many people who would extend their hand and lift you up if asked. All you have to do is ask.
Take 100% Responsibility - Except in rare and unfortunate circumstances, YOU are entirely responsible for the quality and condition of your life. Your career, your relationships and your happiness are all under your direct control.
Have Courage - How badly do you want your goals? When you get hit hard, you have an opportunity to answer this question. It's one thing to say you want to do something, or to be something. But to walk get up and keep moving forward knowing there may be more pain ahead is a test of your determination and resolve. "Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow."
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