Turn Any Problem Into An Action Plan In 4 Easy Steps (By Alex Quill)

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. - Og Mandino

I'd love to be always determined as well, you know!

I've been analyzing the past few years of my life and I came to the conclusion that my productivity and my success were always going hand in hand with my daily motivation. I'm a disciplined person overall and I can force myself to work long hours every day. In fact that's what I've been doing for the past years since I've got my first paid job.

Life goes on and so do our goals. I always wanted to become an independent professional, but I could never find the inner strength to sit down after work and dedicate some hours to develop my own business. The temptation to lay on my couch and relax while watching my favorite TV show was too big. My social environment wasn't helping either: everyone was in the same situation as me and they called it a "normal life". Which is not wrong, if you ask me. Having a stable, well-paid job is a privilege nowadays. But we always want more.

I'd lie if I'd say that I wasn't doing ANYTHING in order to achieve my dream. I was trying to find the strength to work on my goals after work whenever I could. That wasn't bringing any results though, except that it made me ask myself several important questions. In fact, that was the first important thing I've learned about procrastination:

1. The first step is about accepting that there's an actual problem

It was Monday night. I've decided to accept my friend's offer to write an article for his newspaper. He said that it could be a good starter for me - if I succeed, I could reach thousands of people. It was a topic I knew pretty well and the whole deal was about doing a little additional research and compiling my knowledge on an easy-to read and engaging way. The only problem was that I was feeling tired and empty inside. I was simply sitting in front of my PC screen, checking my cell phone from time to time. Not that I was waiting for someone specific to message me, it's just I wasn't feeling like I was focused or inspired enough to start writing.

After an hour of wasted time, I've realized that I'm waiting for a miracle. I'm waiting for the inspiration to come in out of nowhere and do the job for me. And that's not how success comes to people's lives. That's not how motivation comes. So the first step to overcome procrastination was to reveal the problem. There are many ways to do that; I've used the simplest one (in my opinion) which was about being honest with myself and writing down the problems I was facing:

a. I'm feeling down and tired.

b. I don't feel too excited about the things I need to do.

2. You can only start fixing something after you've figured out the cause of the problem

Now that these problems were finally revealed, the time came to look for their roots. Why? Because knowing that I'm not motivated wasn't pointing me to a solution. I've stated that I have a problem and that was a big step ahead. That wasn't enough, though. I've associated the problem with someone else, while the main reason was in me.

Therefore the step #2 was made when I've assumed the responsibility for the problems I was facing. I've decided that the main issue wasn't in my time-consuming job, my lack of creativity or the rain, pattering against the window of my apartment. I've tried to re-write the two statements in a way they'd bring a solution, and I came up with this:

a. I don't know how to stay motivated.

b. I don't know how to start feeling excited about the things I need to do.

3. You'll find the answer once the question was asked

As soon as I did that, all of the sudden, I felt like something changed in me.

It wasn't a "miracle" or a revelation, but suddenly I felt way more awake and motivated. The "I don't know" part sounded like something which can be solved. It means that there IS a solution, it's just I don't know about it yet. For example, we cannot change the day/night cycle, but we can learn how to keep our homes illuminated at any time of the day.

The next step, therefore, was to replace the passive statements with active questions:

a. How do I stay motivated?

b. How do I start feeling excited about the things I need to do?

4. Once the question was asked, let yourself find the answer

What I did helped me to realize that the problem wasn't in my environment or my personal traits. It was merely in my lack of knowledge. The solution was clear: "Alex, stop forcing yourself to do the things you don't want to do. Stop feeling down about your inability to do things the right way."

I didn't have a problem anymore. Instead, I had an action plan:

1. Go to the library and study related materials;

2. Contact the most productive people from my environment and ask them specific questions about the tools they use to stay motivated.

3. Go to bed early and do the writing tomorrow morning before work.

What about you? What methods do you use to turn your problems into action plans?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Turn-Any-Problem-Into-An-Action-Plan-In-4-Easy-Steps&id=9376670

Dream a Little Dream

For some people, January can feel like this super productive, let's get things done time of year. There are all these resolutions and goals and new year energy.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Well, I like to do things differently (no surprise there).

I slow down and go inward to see what wants to be created.

Sure, I do the whole smart business planning thing, but all that smart business planning needs to be driven by something deeper.

What do I want to bring into the world this year?

What am I being called to do?

Is the direction I'm going in the right one for me?

How can I use my gifts and genius to an even greater level - and help even more people?

So, while, yes, I did set goals for 2016, those goals were based on the deeper, more introspective work I did.

I suggest you take some time to go inward yourself. Action plans are great (and very smart business), but that action needs to come from deep inside.

What are your dreams? How can those dreams manifest into the world?

For example, a colleague of mine wants to become a highly sought-after, well-paid speaker making $25,000 per speaking engagement. That's her dream - to be a paid speaker. The dream manifesting into reality - that's the $25,000 per gig.

Here is my recipe for some Deep Soulful Dreaming:

What does your heart really want? You don't have to tell anyone, but at least whisper it to yourself. Do you want to write and publish a book? Do you want to be a well-paid speaker? Do you want to travel to exotic locations and hold high-end retreats?

Now, take your dream and detail what that looks like. If you want to write and publish a book, well, what kind of book? How many books? Is it a series? Do you want to be on the New York Times bestseller list? If you want to be a well-paid speaker, what does "well-paid" mean to you? How often do you want to speak? Do you want to travel? How far are you willing to travel?

Your third step is to play... put your dream, description, and details in some visual form that you can easily access every day. Make a vision board (I've always called mine Soul Maps), goal cards, or a mind movie. And look at these EVERY DAY. Keep your dream alive in your heart AND in your mind.

Here's the fun part... what is ONE, VERY SMALL action you can take toward that dream? Can you write for 15 minutes today? Can you come up with three speaking topics that jazz you and make you want to jump up and scream, "I so want to tell you about this!!! It's awesome!"? Can you send an email to your local Rotary Club or Lions Club asking them if they're looking for speakers? (And hint about speaking... civic clubs like Rotary and Lions are almost always looking for speakers!)

Next, put on your calendar a time to take ONE MORE VERY SMALL ACTION. Maybe that's tomorrow or next week or next month. Keep that momentum and energy about your dream going.

Getting to your dream starts with one step. Take that step today.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Dream-a-Little-Dream&id=9305529

Action Plans

Small Scale Planning

Whether it's sending out an email newsletter, putting together a presentation for senior managers, or working on a special request for a client, many of us have to complete simple projects as part of our day-to-day responsibilities.

These small- to medium-sized projects may, at first glance, not seem to need much thought. But, occasionally, we can overlook a key step or "to do" item that can derail all our efforts.

For instance, how do you make sure that you've covered everything? Are there any actions that need to be taken early on in the project for it to succeed? And are you clear about when you need to do key tasks, in what sequence, to meet your deadline?

Action Plans are simple lists of all of the tasks that you need to finish to meet an objective. They differ from To-Do Lists   in that they focus on the achievement of a single goal.

Action Plans are useful, because they give you a framework for thinking about how you'll complete a project efficiently. They help you finish activities in a sensible order, and they help you ensure that you don't miss any key steps. Also, because you can see each task laid out, you can quickly decide which tasks you'll delegate or outsource, and which tasks you may be able to ignore.

Using Action Plans

Use an Action Plan whenever you need to plan a small project.

To draw one up, simply list the tasks that you need to carry out to achieve your objective, in the order that you need to complete them. (This is very simple, but it is still very useful!)

Use the three-step process below to help you:

Step 1: Identify Tasks

Start by brainstorming   all of the tasks that you need to complete to accomplish your objective.

It's helpful to start this process at the very beginning. What's the very first action you'll need to take? Once that task is complete, what comes next? Are there any steps that should be prioritized   to meet specific deadlines, or because of limits on other people's availability?

Step 2: Analyze and Delegate Tasks

Now that you can see the entire project from beginning to end, look at each task in greater detail.

Are there any steps that you could drop, but still meet your objective? Which tasks could you delegate   to someone else on your team, or could be dealt with by a freelancer? Are there any deadlines for specific steps? Do you need to arrange additional resources?

Step 3: Double-Check With SCHEMES

Use the SCHEMES* mnemonic to check that your plan is comprehensive.

SCHEMES stands for :

• Space.
• Cash.
• Helpers/People.
• Equipment.
• Materials.
• Expertise.
• Systems.

You may not need to think about all of these to complete your project. For instance, for a small internal project to streamline the format of your team's reports, you might only need to think about "Helpers/People," "Expertise," and "Systems."

Note:

Once you've completed your plan, keep it by you as you carry out the work, and update it with additional activities if required.

Learning from Your Action Plan

If you think you'll be trying to achieve a similar goal again, revise your plan after the work is complete, by making a note of anything that you could have done better.

For instance, perhaps you could have avoided a last-minute panic if you'd alerted a supplier in advance about the size of order you'd be placing. Or maybe you didn't allow enough time to do certain tasks.

Tip:

If you'll be doing similar work again, consider turning your plan into an Aide Memoire  . This is a checklist that you progressively refine and improve to make sure that you remember to do everything important for success.

Managing Bigger Projects

Action Plans are useful for small projects, where deadlines are not particularly important or strenuous, and where you don't need to co-ordinate other people.

As your projects grow, however, you'll need to develop more formal project management skills, particularly if you're responsible for scheduling other people's time, or need to complete projects to tight deadlines.

You can also use Action Plans in conjunction with your To-Do Lists  , or Action Programs  .

Action Programs are "heavy duty" versions of To-Do Lists, which help you manage many simultaneous small projects. This is something that managers at all levels need to do routinely.

Key Points

An Action Plan is a list of tasks that you need to do to complete a simple project or objective.

To draw one up, simply list the tasks that you need to complete to deliver your project or objective, in the order that you need to complete them.

To do this, first brainstorm every step you'll need to take to follow your task to completion. Then, analyze tasks to see if there are any that can be pruned, or delegated. Lastly, use the SCHEMES mnemonic to double check that you've considered all critical areas.

If you need to schedule people's time, or meet tight deadlines as part of your project, consider using the other project management techniques mentioned.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_04.htm

Golden Rules of Goal Setting

Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success

Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years' time? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today?

If you want to succeed, you need to set goals. Without goals you lack focus and direction. Goal setting not only allows you to take control of your life's direction; it also provides you a benchmark for determining whether you are actually succeeding. Think about it: Having a million dollars in the bank is only proof of success if one of your goals is to amass riches. If your goal is to practice acts of charity, then keeping the money for yourself is suddenly contrary to how you would define success.

To accomplish your goals, however, you need to know how to set them. You can't simply say, "I want" and expect it to happen. Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between there are some very well defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps will allow you to formulate goals that you can accomplish.

Here are our five golden rules of goal setting:

The Five Golden Rules

1. Set Goals that Motivate You

When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim. Motivation is key to achieving goals.

Set goals that relate to the high priorities in your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals, leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. When you don't have this, you risk putting off what you need to do to make the goal a reality. This in turn leaves you feeling disappointed and frustrated with yourself, both of which are de-motivating. And you can end up in a very destructive "I can't do anything or be successful at anything" frame of mind.

Tip:

To make sure your goal is motivating, write down why it's valuable and important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.

2. Set SMART Goals

You have probably heard of "SMART goals" already. But do you always apply the rule? The simple fact is that for goals to be powerful, they should be designed to be SMART. There are many variations of what SMART stands for, but the essence is this – goals should be:

• Specific.
• Measurable.
• Attainable.
• Relevant.
• Time Bound.

Set Specific Goals

Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go by defining precisely where you want to end up.

Set Measurable Goals

Include precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as "To reduce expenses" how will you know when you have been successful? In one month's time if you have a 1 percent reduction or in two years' time when you have a 10 percent reduction? Without a way to measure your success you miss out on the celebration that comes with knowing you have actually achieved something.

Set Attainable Goals

Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode your confidence.

However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. Accomplishing a goal that you didn't have to work hard for can be anticlimactic at best, and can also make you fear setting future goals that carry a risk of non-achievement. By setting realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal satisfaction.

Set Relevant Goals

Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals, and you'll fritter your time – and your life – away.

Set Time-Bound Goals

You goals must have a deadline. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will come that much quicker.

3. Set Goals in Writing

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would like to" or "might." For example, "I will reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year," not "I would like to reduce my operating expenses by 10 percent this year." The first goal statement has power and you can "see" yourself reducing expenses, the second lacks passion and gives you an excuse if you get sidetracked.

Tip 1:

Frame your goal statement positively. If you want to improve your retention rates say, "I will hold on to all existing employees for the next quarter" rather than "I will reduce employee turnover." The first one is motivating; the second one still has a get-out clause "allowing" you to succeed even if some employees leave.

Tip 2:

If you use a To-Do List  , make yourself a To-Do List template that has your goals at the top of it. If you use an Action Program  , then your goals should be at the top of your Project Catalog.

Post your goals in visible places to remind yourself every day of what it is you intend to do. Put them on your walls, desk, computer monitor, bathroom mirror or refrigerator as a constant reminder.

4. Make an Action Plan

This step is often missed in the process of goal setting. You get so focused on the outcome that you forget to plan all of the steps that are needed along the way. By writing out the individual steps, and then crossing each one off as you complete it, you'll realize that you are making progress towards your ultimate goal. This is especially important if your goal is big and demanding, or long-term. Read our article on Action Plans   for more on how to do this.

5. Stick With It!

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity not just a means to an end. Build in reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.

Key Points

Goal setting is much more than simply saying you want something to happen. Unless you clearly define exactly what you want and understand why you want it in the first place, your odds of success are considerably reduced. By following the Five Golden Rules of Goal Setting you can set goals with confidence and enjoy the satisfaction that comes along with knowing you achieved what you set out to do.

So, what will you decide to accomplish today?

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_90.htm