Action Plan

I recently read the only 3% have a written plan for their work. Move from the 97% to the 3% and acheive your goals. Take time to do this very important activity.

When I first started to work at the college I decided to write out some very simple goals. I had never started a college division before so I was not quite sure what I was doing. 

My job was to start the continuing education division which offered regular college courses in the evening and special interest courses.

I decided the most important thing was the number of students. So I decided on a certain number, wrote it down and to my great delight I acheived my goal.

The college president was delighted.

The next year I knew what I was doing and set a much higher goal. In fact I did that for the next three years. I am a visual person so I drew a graph.

If I saw that we were not reaching our goal we looked for more opportunites to make sure we got there. we put on more special interest courses.

You have done all the work and preparation now you have to act. So write an action plan, some people say it is best if you write it by hand rather than on your computer.

1. Chose two long term career targets or goals. By long term I mean four years.

2. Now break it down into one year goals. What are you going to do in year one, year two, year three and finally in year four?

You need to review your progress after year one and, if needed, revise your goals. 

I review and revise my goals at the end of each month. Some time I make faster progress and other times I am slower than I expected.

3. Now decide what you are going to do in 2011.  

4. Now decide in general what you are going to do each month.

5. Now decide in detail what you are going to in January.

6. Now decide what you are going to do each week in January.

7. Finally, decide what you are going to do on the first work day in January. This your to do list. Make this list the day before. In other words, make Tuesday's list on Monday night.  

Every time you acheive a small step reward yourself, give yourself a pat on the back

Write these goals down on a little cards and carry them with you all the time. Keep looking at them to help keep you on track.

What you are doing is breaking down your long range goal into small pieces. In that way you will make progress slowly but surely.

It is like "How do you eat an elephant?"

"One bite at a time.

As you progress you will need to revise your goals; some will take more time, others less time. 

The main thing is to keep moving forward.  

It is important that you are accountable to someone. Write down the name of this person or your mentor and date you will contact him or her.

In the book of Exodus in the Bible, We read that Moses stood at the edge of the Red Sea and hestitated. The enemy was getting closer. Finally the Lord said "Move forward." They did and escaped.

Some times we are like that and we need to move forward and do the next thing.

Here is a quote from Henry Ford (no relation).

"One of the greatest dicoveries a man or woman can make, one of the greatest suprises is to find that they can do what they thought they couldn't do." 

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