WRITTEN PLANS
I’ve added this section because most people miss it out. I don’t know if it’s because people don’t have the time, don’t know how or just can’t be bothered. But what I do know is the people who write their plans to accompany their written goals seem to achieve them. Whereas those who don’t – don’t.
First, the good news. You don’t have to write a book. Now the ‘could be better’ news: you do have to write more than a few words. Finally, some more good news: 90% of all you need is in the next two pages and the rest can be found in other sections of this book.
PPP
Begin by writing your goals using the 3Ps formula. This means ensuring your goals are:
- Personal.
- Positive.
- Present.
Personal is easy. Just make sure your written goals start with ‘I’.
Positive can be more challenging. The important issue here is to ensure you use positive language when you write a goal. If you have a goal to find happiness, then writing ‘I no longer want to be sad’ uses too many negatives. You will be reading these goals every day, so choose your words carefully.
Present refers to writing your goals in the present tense. In simple terms, writing your goals as if you are already achieving them. For example, if you want to have a brilliant family holiday in Australia write the words: ‘I am having a fabulous family holiday in Australia now.’ Your brain will want to make sense of this and will create ‘Gestalt’ (your brain’s way of making things have order), which makes you more focused on achieving the goal.
Start planning!
Once you have a list of clearly written goals, it’s time to create your plan – and write it down!
Here’s an example of the outline of year 1 and year 5 as a written plan for someone who has a 5-year plan to start, build and sell a business.
This is not the business plan; these are the 90-day actions that come together to form a 5-year vision. You will have more details in the early years.
Year 1
| 1st 90 days | Set up office |
| Find a brilliant name | |
| Protect idea | |
| Set up bank account, etc. | |
| Research funding | |
| Soft launch brand | |
| Make first sale! | |
| 2nd 90 days | Prepare funding presentation |
| Secure 12 appointments with funders (one each week) | |
| Make two more sales | |
| Recruit operations person (area of weakness) | |
| 3rd 90 days | Complete legals with funder |
| Make four sales | |
| Appoint admin assistant | |
| Develop sales platform | |
| 4th 90 days | Create resourcing plan for business |
| Go full time | |
| Attend a Michael Heppell ‘Brilliance in Business’ course | |
| End year at breakeven |
Year 5
| Ensure every system works without me |
| Have clear exit strategy written |
| Find buyer |
| Sell business |
| Buy yacht |
So, what if it doesn’t go according to your written plan?
Excellent! At least you know! Without the plan, how would you know if you were going off track? How would you know the right time to move into your new venture full time?
There are so many variables once you start on your journey towards achieving a personal vision. With a written plan you can also document what you will do if these issues arise. Here are seven classics. Write your strategy on how to deal with each of these next to the heading and use these pages as a reference:
- Lack of support.
- Running out of time.
- Not enough resources.
- Important person says ‘no’.
- Competition.
- Lack of energy and motivation.
- Boredom.
Going off track is fine – when you spot it. But what if you don’t? What if you don’t know there’s a wobble? Written plans help you to avoid that. Then you have the opportunity to adjust, refocus and replan.