To create a winning plan for your future, consider the following guidelines.
Learn the difference between ''should'' and ''must.''
When most people state a goal or try to plan, they use the word ''should'': ''I should go to the gym more this year,'' ''I should schedule more prospect appointments for next week,'' ''I should do better follow up with clients.'' ''Shoulds'' rarely get done. Instead, think in terms of what you ''must'' do. The word ''must'' carries with it a sense of urgency. As such, ''musts'' usually get done. An effective plan always begins with a decision (a must), not just a nice idea (a should). We all have lots of nice ideas, but when you turn that nice idea into a clear-cut decision, you automatically have a sense of commitment.
Take your plan from fact to feeling.
It is not enough to state a goal as a fact, for example, ''I’m going to sell 50 insurance policies this month.'' In order to make a goal a reality, you need to attach the fact to a feeling. It’s the feeling that motivates us, not the fact. No one dreams of having a filing cabinet filled with signed policies. Instead, they desire what that full filing cabinet represents: more time off with the family, a new car, an exotic vacation, etc. Therefore, part of your plan needs to include the facts, but don’t forget to tie those facts to some motivating feelings.
Create a vision using all your senses.
Visualization is a key component to any successful plan. You’ve probably heard of creating a vision board -- you cut out pictures of the things you want in your life and post them on a board in your home or office. The problem with the typical vision board is that it only uses one of your senses, the sense of sight. You need to incorporate all five senses. Therefore, go beyond the typical vision board. Pick out a victory song that represents your vision and listen to the song every day (auditory component). As you achieve small milestones, celebrate at a restaurant (taste component). Pick a smell that symbolizes success for you (perhaps a certain brand of cologne, or maybe even the smell of roses) and surround yourself with the fragrance. For instance, if you want a new car, go test drive the car. Smell the new car smell, feel the leather, listen to the engine hum. The point is not only to use a vision board, but also to expand it so it’s not just a matter of sight.
Think through your entire journey to see all the possibilities.
Your plan isn’t only about the end result; it involves the journey as well. Therefore, mentally go through the journey of what it will take to get to the end vision. By doing so, your mind will automatically start solving problems. It’s a lot like telling someone to think about what he is feeling in his left foot. Chances are that until that moment, the person wasn’t thinking about his left foot at all. But the minute you draw his it to his attention, he starts recognizing sensations. The same happens when you plan. When you know the journey and how things are supposed to go along it, those things start to appear in your life. Some people call it the Law of Attraction. In fact, those things you suddenly see were always there. But now that you know where you’re going, you can see where everything fits, and possibilities begin to appear. The key is to then translate those possibilities into actions, as that is when you will produce the real fruit of your labor and move closer to the end goal. Remember, without action, all you have are ideas.
Write everything down.
Prepare for defeat.
No matter how great a plan you have, you need to plan for the possibility of defeat, because along the way you will always have challenges. It’s not a matter of ''if'' the challenges appear; it’s a matter of ''when.'' The key difference between top achievers and those who don’t accomplish much is how they deal with failure. People who don’t accomplish much stop at the first obstacle. Top achievers find a way through every challenge. Also, top achievers are not perfectionists, and they don’t wait for ideal conditions before they act. Top achievers are improvisers. No matter what the conditions, they find ways to improve them and make them work. You simply can’t afford to wait for perfection. The world is changing so fast that you have to act based on what’s happening now and improvise as you go. That’s the only way to ensure your plan is a success.
Take Action on Your Future Now
Everyone always wants the next month or year to be better than the previous ones, but that will only happen if you take action. Use these guidelines as you plan and your future will fall into place. People always say, ''knowledge is power,'' but that’s not quite true. The truth is that applied knowledge is power. You now have the knowledge. Apply it wisely!
About the Author
Doug Vermeeren is an author and motivational speaker on goal setting and human performance. As the author of ''Accelerated Achievement'' and ''Amazing Success,'' Doug has developed a concrete method for goal setting and maximizing potential through more than 400 interviews with top achievers. Doug recently completed producing, ''The Opus,'' a follow-up to the Law of Attraction documentary, ''The Secret.'' ''The Opus'' focuses on taking a vision, turning it into a plan and putting it to performance. For more information on ''The Opus,'' visit http://www.TheOpusMovie.com, or to contact Doug, visit http://www.douglasvermeeren.com.
