There are times when we let other people change the way we are feeling, or even change our plans. Have you ever had that happen to you? Honestly everyone that we have had in our lives who were important to us, have contributed to who we are today. Sometimes those changes are good and important, and other times you look back and wonder how you got to where you are today.
Not every detour from your set plan is a bad idea, but you certainly want to be careful to keep your eye on the prize that you are promising yourself. I am a people watcher, and I like to learn from all of my experiences, even the most painful ones. By watching I can sometimes learn lessons from their mistakes and that can save me from making that same mistake. Other times I don’t learn right away, but when I make the mistake I might then recall someone else’s situation and learn how to get out of the pickle I have put myself in by figuring out what they did.
There are some people who seem resistant to being dragged off their path by negativity or shiny objects. By taking note of what they do, it seems that they have a few things in their favour.
- Have a solid plan in place
- Review their plan often
- Readjust their course when they notice they are off track
I am not saying that they don’t get off track but because they are so dedicated to their plan and to checking in often with their progress that they are more in tune with the disruptions. This makes it look like they have it all under control and they seem almost unaffected by the bumps along the way.
For those who are not used to operating this way, it will not happen quickly, and it will take some dedication to keep you on track. I can guarantee that it will be worth the effort though. I have been working on this for just over a year now, and I can tell you that I still get pulled off track, but the best part is that I seem to realize that I am off track long before I make it to the other side of the map from where I was aiming.
We went through some basic planning at the end of last year, feel free to use those ideas and apply them to planning your life now (start here). Stephen Covey put it into perspective when he said “start with the end in mind”. Think about planning a road trip with the family, you always decide where you are going first, then fill in the blanks along the way. It is true that some of you are adventurous enough to get in the car and just go, but there is uncertainty of where you will end up, and there may be more problems along the way. Most of us decide on the destination and the date of the trip, the duration of the trip and then we start to think about the financial implications of the trip and then we decide on which route to take. Will we stop in at aunt Jane’s house to visit or perhaps we will go to the zoo in a city that is on the way. Once the trip is planned then we need a plan on what to bring. You can’t pack your bags until you know if you need winter boots or flip flops.
These things are generally all planned and mapped out before we begin our trip. Once we have all these things in order then we can pack the car, and set our GPS with our destination as well as all the waypoints along the way. What happens when you get distracted as you are driving down the highway, perhaps you stop at a rest stop and notice that there is a really cool space ship landing site nearby and you decide to veer off the path to check it out. Your GPS will let you know that you are going off course, and you can choose to still check out that spaceship landing site, but your GPS will get you back on track as soon as you are done.
I used this analogy to help you see that your life and the progress of you business can be treated the exact same way. Taking the time to plan where you are going is very important, if you just flounder around in your business or your life you may continue to walk the exact same circle for years before you notice you are no further ahead than you were last year.
There are times when we are building a plan to reach our destination (end in mind) but we can’t see past the first few steps, the end seems so far away and there seems to be a lot of road blocks along the way. Don’t be afraid to map out the first few steps, and then get started. As you move along your path you will need to check in more often than people who can see all the steps along the way, but you can still do it.
Once you have your goal laid out and you have the steps you believe you need to take, then you have to have a way to track your progress. There is no real GPS for us to use, but we can have the next best thing. Get a mentor to help you, set a check in time with your mentor and have measurable goals to discuss when you meet. When you meet your goals it will be its own reward. By having a mentor to discuss your progress and your pitfalls with, you will be able to discuss what worked and what didn’t. Your mentor should be experienced in working with people such as yourself and you should feel comfortable discussing these things with them. You can learn from their experience, and perhaps they will be able to see a pitfall before you can, and they can help to reroute you.
Now you have the power to change your life… begin by setting the plan and getting a mentor. I would love to hear how you decide to make changes in your life or you business, and feel free to update us all with your progress.
