September Think Zink: Personal Strategic Planning

"Think Zink" Newsletter

September 2011

Personal Strategic Planning:
Do You Want to Win or Not?

I'm constantly amazed that people are disappointed with the results in their personal and professional success 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?

By way of example - 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, energy and resources 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 articles below you will find hints tips and ideas to make a strategic plan for yourself. DON'T put it off.

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.

Check out back issues of Sarah's newsletters!

"It's Never too Late to Become the Person you Might have Been."

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In This Issue

Note from Sarah

THINK ZINK Radio Show

Be Clear, Be Reasonable, Be Commtted

Goal Setting Isn't Enough!

Creating Your Mission Statement

Don't Quit!

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. (Click HERE for a list of assessment questions) 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 actions 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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please click HERE.

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 one 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. I recommend using the "Baby Step" plan: take a step toward your goal that can be accomplished in 30 minutes or less. As you become more adept at completing these tasks, you can increase the amount of time you spend on them.

Understanding your employee and co-worker's behavior is critical to success.

Stop wondering and learn how and why people act the way they do and

how to manage and work with them for success.

Click HERE to schedule Sarah to speak to your company.

Quick Links...

Creating Your Mission Statement

A personal mission statement empowers you by making it possible 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 for 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. Click HERE for some sample mission statements.

Understanding your employee and co-worker's behavior is critical to success.

Stop wondering and learn how and why people act the way they do and how to manage and work with them for success.

Click HERE to schedule Sarah to speak to your company.

New Online Blog Begins in October!

Check out Platforms.TV

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. "It's NEVER too late to become the person you might have been."

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. "You are surrounded by people who genuinely want to help you - and if you are not, THAT is your problem."

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. "Take control of your destiny or everyone else will."

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."

Understanding your employee and co-worker's behavior is critical to success.

Stop wondering and learn how and why people act the way they do and

how to manage and work with them for success.

Click HERE to hire Sarah to come and speak to your company.