Thanks for joining me as I continue my series on the 5 Step Productive Environment Process. This process can be used for any professional or personal goal you’d like to accomplish - big or small. Setting up a new filing system? Planning a renovation? Determined to wear your “old” jeans again? This process sets the framework to get you there..
Let’s Review
Over the last three months, I’ve led you through steps one through three. We started with Step 1: State Your Vision, which covered brainstorming your ideal situation and identifying the goal you wanted to reach. From there, we moved onto Step 2: Identify Your Obstacles. Here, we discussed the importance of taking a good, hard look at what is preventing you from success or what has done so in the past. In Step 3: Commit Your Resources, we looked at what resources you have or can obtain, such as money, time, people, and supplies.
Today, we will dig into the nuts and bolts of what it takes to accomplish your goal. Today, we’ll cover Step 4: Create and Execute Your Plan.
The Next Step
After you’ve set your goals, identified what is holding you back, and discovered what you have at your disposal to move forward, how do you put this into action? If you couldn’t guess by the title, now it’s time to plan!
Planning includes asking ourselves some important questions in regard to reaching our goals. Questions to ask yourself include:
When will you start?
How much time will you dedicate?
Who or what will help you?
What is the budget?
How will it look/what are the steps?
It’s important that in answering these questions, you are as specific as you were in Stating Your Vision. Rather than setting a lofty goal with no plan on how to reach it, decide on concrete and measurable steps. Once you have them, list them out.
Creating Your Action Steps
If someone were to ask you, “what are you doing to accomplish XYZ,” how would you answer? Rather than give a general answer, you should answer with specific ACTION steps. I’ve had clients get to this point and then say their plan is to “not be lazy anymore” or “stop procrastinating.” No! Stop right there! Those aren’t steps. In fact, those types of “steps” should be avoided at all costs. Those are dangerous and self-defeating judgements that have no place in a true plan of action. Please commit to leaving those negative self-comments behind....I promise it will be worth it.
When it comes to creating your action steps, it’s important to identify small steps you can take to make progress at each point of your journey. Be careful not to overwhelm yourself, as it can be easy to quit a plan before you even begin if it’s too much or involves resources, energy, and drive that you’re not able to give.
Ready to take the next step?
Are you ready to design your actionable plan? Are you interested in learning how to create steps that will help you get from point A to point B without losing your motivation? One way to design an actionable plan with concrete steps is by getting in touch today, learning more about what I do and scheduling a free consultation.
I’d love to hear from you. And keep in touch, as next month will be the fifth and FINAL step of the 5 Step Productive Environment Process!
Talk soon,
Kerry Thomas
Conquer the Chaos