
Plan of Action
You must have a “plan of action”. No matter what stage you are in life, you have to “plan your work and work your plan”. The origin of this saying is unknown, but it has certainly been used by many. People as different as Vince Lombardi and Margaret Thatcher were both known to say this.
Planning is actually a type of goal setting. There are three kinds of goals; goals based on time, goals based on focus, and goals based on a topic. Time goals are the ones we refer to as short-term or long-term goals to accomplish something. Focus goals remind us of big audacious goals and drive the majority of our decisions. Topic-based goals can be personal, professional, career or financial. It is imperative that you establish long-term as well as short-term goals.
Check periodically to see where you are in terms of achieving those goals. Habakkuk 2:2 says to “write the vision make it plain.” What are things that you can do to change your course, or revise your plan of action to help you get where you’d like to be. Keep in mind, you are in charge of “you.” It does help you document your plans, your thoughts. Even in retirement, I continue to set goals for myself. Tenacity is a huge factor in staying on track.
Time, focus, and topic goals are not mutually exclusive. We can have short-term financial goals, long-term career goals, and personal focus goals.
As the saying goes, if you don’t know where you are going in life, any road will take you there. If you don’t clearly know where you are going, how will you know when you get there. Planning is the roadmap that guides you to your destination. Motivation is the fuel that gets you there