Is climbing Mount Everest on your bucket list? If so, is your plan to book your flight, make the 22-hour trip to Nepal, show up and simply hike up the 31,000-ft. ascent to the top of the 60-million-year-old mountain? Of course not — you will first invest your time and effort in carefully constructing a detailed plan. A few facts to consider as you plan this expedition: it will cost you ~$75,000, you’re going to need an experienced ‘Sherpa’ to assist you in putting the logistics together for the 60-day hike and help guide you; be prepared, maximum wind speeds of 200 MPH and temperatures – 76°. A bit of an extreme example, but I wanted to illustrate a point — challenges require extreme thought and planning to produce successful results. As life continues to increase in speed each year of my professional life, and the challenges and responsibilities increase, I understand that change is inevitable and constant. Never get too comfortable with any routine in your life or career because the competition for market share pushes companies and their staffs to the brink to be an innovator vs. a follower. However, there is one constant over the past 25+ years in my routine that has not changed, and that is spending an hour or so each Sunday evening on my weekly planning. The power of weekly planning lies in the perspective and control it provides for your life; it allows you a clear path that puts you in a position to be proactive, rather than reactive as the distractions of work and life come at you from all directions. It also eliminates stress, makes you better-prepared for unexpected obstacles and allows you to evaluate your progress. For even the most talented people, time management is demanding, and planning is the most important part of the formula. By spending a small chunk of time without distraction, you can created a powerful weekly action plan to be your compass in efficiency and effectiveness as you navigate the week. So how do you start? I’ll walk you through the routine I follow. Remember, this is an activity that is based on your personality. Some require specific action plans to accompany their weekly plan, while others work efficiently and simply create a brief road map to ensure they have their priorities in order. Here is how I structure my personal plan: There is a caveat to all this…even the best-laid plans need adjusting. That’s why daily planning is also critical in the process. At the end of each day, I review that respective day and my week ahead and may have to adjust as needed. While I try to avoid making changes to my high-priority items, I may move around other tasks or push them if the deadline is not necessarily near because of an unexpected task that hits. Don’t be disappointed or feel as if the plan is not an effective tool. Your planner serves as a best-case scenario. However, if you make the planning sessions a habit, after time, you will be a much better judge of your time and find yourself with more motivation, direction and peace in your life. VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER Humbled to lead, #chargeup #lessonsinleadership #planning #makeaplan #leadership #process #success #moveforward #patience #change #venture #lead #prosper #empower #motivate #inspire #beyou #gratitude #integrity #starttoday #humilty RECEIVE MY FREE WEEKLY E-BLAST, THE WIRE ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.
Bottom line: if you fail to plan, then plan to fail . . .
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