Almost every book I’ve ever read relating to business, success, and management discussed the idea of goal setting. For those that have been the most successful, goal setting seems to be one of the common attributes. Whether you are going towards a business, personal or professional objective, setting a goal is a great first step. But setting goals for some is a difficult challenge. And setting a goal without actionable, measurable steps won’t get you very far.
While I do a lot of work with small business owners and up-starts around business development and planning, often times a simple tool like an Action Plan is what’s most needed to jumpstart the business and move things forward. While business plans are much needed documents that provide a clear view of your vision, mission, and financial projections, an Action Plan is that document that gives you the daily, weekly and monthly what-to-do short-term tasks that will help you complete your overall goals.
An action plans employs exactly what it says, Action. So much for sitting around thinking and dreaming about what you want to do, ‘Lose 10 pounds, start a business, change jobs, etc., an action plan actually provides those step by step strategies for getting from point A to point B.
Let me give you two examples of how an Action Plan can move you forward. Here’s an example of a professional goal:
In 2001, I published my book Sipping Tea and Doing Business: A Holistic Journey to Business Success. The book, which I co-authored with a colleague, took 3 months to write. Many people ask me how we were able to write a book in 3 months. Well, I’ll tell you: with very little sleep (smile), a lot of motivation, and yes, an action plan. Writing and self-publishing a book is a lot of work which takes a good bit of dedication, but because we had really clear direction in terms of what needed to be done, when it needed to be done, how it needed to be done, and by whom, we were able to successfully accomplish our mission of completing our book.
Putting things into action is a challenge for many people. I know this because people will say to me; I’ve always wanted to write a book, and then precede to question me regarding how I got started, what it takes, etc.. My short answer, “The only difference between you and me is that I did it”. I hope that doesn’t sound short, but it’s the truth. There is no secret formula to doing what you want to do, it’s just a matter of doing it, taking some risks, disciplining yourself and moving forward everyday. You don’t have to take quantum leaps, just take some baby steps: draft an outline, write a paragraph, research publishers, and so on. You see what I mean? It’s not really that difficult, it’s just a matter of making it happen. And that’s what an Action Plan does. It helps you make things happen.
Here’s an example of a personal goal:
In 2003, I ran my first marathon. I had never been a runner. In fact I didn’t like running at all. My brother challenged me to join him in a running class he took at the gym. I did it, but hated every minute of it. No more than 3 months later I had decided to run a marathon. Needless to say my brother couldn’t believe it, “What!?”, he exclaimed and then being the supportive sibling that he is, he told me he would buy my first pair of running shoes. (Side note: When you decide to move forward, take a risk and do something different, you’ll find all types of support along the way.)
In order to run a marathon, I had to put a plan together. The first shift I made was a mental one. I had to change my mind about running and how I saw myself in that light. I had to proclaim myself as a runner. But that’s not all. I had to ask some questions like: How do I successfully complete this marathon? What do I need to accomplish this goal? Who can assist me along the way? Running the marathon in and of itself was the goal, but the overall objective was to reach a maximum fitness level. The action and strategy for accomplishing the two was much more detailed. Since I had never run a marathon before there was a lot of preparation. There are things you must have to run a marathon, much more than I was aware of at the time. For example: practice and training (pretty obvious), special shoes and clothing, modified diet, inspiration and motivation (you better believe it).
With all this in mind, I developed a strategy. In this particular situation I had a lot of help. I was running with the American Stroke Association, which provided guidance, training, and direction. Part of my Action Plan was to participate in the weekly group runs. In addition to that, I found a running buddy that I ran with during the week. I also had to raise money because I was running for a cause. So sending out letters and developing fundraising ideas were all a part of the strategy.
On a cold Thanksgiving morning in 2003, I headed out to run my marathon. I could have done a lot of other things that day, but this was it, the moment of truth. I had done something I had never done before, mainly because I implemented a plan of action.
There are some things you’re trying to achieve in your business and your life and perhaps you’re not getting anywhere. It’s time to sit down and create a systemized approach to reaching that goal — it’s called an Action Plan and here’s what you’ll need to get started:
1. Determine exactly what it is you want to accomplish – Vague goals don’t get you very far. I want to travel is too general. Of course you want to travel, but where do you want to go and when. Tell me how: I will travel to New York for my birthday in February is more specific.
2. Determine what you need – To travel to New York you’ll need some money, maybe some time off, an airline ticket, a place to stay, etc. When you determine what you need, you’ll have some of your steps and sometimes you’ll have a new goal.
3. Determine who’s involved and who’s responsible – If your goal only involved you, that makes it easy (or sometimes more difficult), but it means that the ball is completely in your control.
Here’s a portion of the Action Plan we used to finish our book.
We had three specific goals that we were trying to achieve. First and foremost was finishing the book so this is the example I’ll share. In this case, I used an order system (you don’t necessarily have to have this but in some cases it’s useful to help you prioritize tasks). You can just write your steps in order, but sometimes you initially know what it is you need to do and you have to come back to see what should be done 1st, 2nd, and so on. Our own Action Plan was broken down into a nicely done chart, but that’s not really necessary. The main thing is to develop the plan and to do it.
Goal: Finish Sipping Tea and Doing Business by February 15th
(1) Review book as it relates to theme (Dec. 31/ Both)
(2) Address unanswered questions (Jan 12/ Both)
(3) Complete introduction and forward (Dec.28/Both)
(4) Add challenges/barriers (Jan. 8/ Both)
(5) Add appendix items (Jan.12/ Both)
(6) Obtain copyright and ISBN# (Feb. 1st/ Me)
(7) Research Trademark (Dec. 29 / Me and L)
(8) Put book in electronic format (Feb. 1 / Outsource)
(9) Get book edited (Jan. 18th/ Outsource)
Once you have outlined all your goals and steps, you can go back and break your assignments down into monthly, weekly, and daily steps. No more confusion about what needs to be done. Just take out your action plan and go to work!
Biz Practitioner
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