Today I’m going to talk about how goals become a plan. In the past, I’ve talked about a personal mission statement and purpose; if you have identified it, then goals are an exercise in planning because mission and purpose are the engines for your vision, and goals are the map. So, if, BIG IF you have followed me and taken action, you have identified your values and vision, written unifying principles to guide your life, and long-term goals.
If you still need to identify your mission and purpose, look back at your vision and unifying principles; they should show why you get up in the morning and indicate where you are going. Did I tell you this process is iterative, and you must look back and ensure you aren’t BS-ing yourself? Remember the term congruency? Well, your goals must be congruent with your values, which means, for example, if you want to be a bazillionaire and take a vow of poverty, your performance and values will be countering each other. However, you can be a bazillionaire and live humbly.
Now you have your long-term or Big goals. With each goal, ask the question how do I measure when it’s complete? What’s the first step to getting there? What networks, abilities, and knowledge do I need to achieve the goal? What resources do I need? When do I need or want to accomplish the goal? How can I get there faster? The answers to these questions become intermediate goals with clear specific, and measurable qualifications. Now ask those questions about the first intermediate goal and every intermediate goal. Once you have all of your intermediate goals, prioritize them. Then start with the following long-term goal.
Now that you have your goals on paper and prioritized, align them with your calendar, so you aren’t starting 12 things on the same day and defeating the purpose of prioritizing. Life and work get a vote. You may have to start flying the plane before you get the wings on, but that’s ok. Remember the 80/20 rule? Well, your brain is already working on all these goals. So keep a notebook or journal close, capturing those insights for A3 as you work on the A1 goal. Now you have everything you need for a plan, and it even looks like one, but if you want to load all of this into a project management spreadsheet or format, don’t lose visibility on the why and how it contributes to your vision, mission, and purpose.
Finally, the key to all this is to ask one question before you start every task to bring your mind into focus; the question is, “What is it I’m trying to accomplish.” That’s the magic, so get started on those intermediate goals!
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Remember, “all things are possible through prayer and heavy deadlifts.”™
