Make It Happen

You Gotta Have A Plan
By Nigel Risner

Personal strategic planning is based on the premise that life will not go according to plan, if you do not have a plan.

A successful plan must include the following:

Personal Philosophy
Every person has a personal philosophy, consisting of some rules adopted from one's parents, culture, religion, acquaintance, etc.

Generally speaking, these rules, as a body are not well thought out and contain a wealth of inconsistencies and contradictions.

Legacy Statement
Your legacy serves as your life's defining statement. It serves a twofold purpose. First it provides an overarching framework for all mission statements and goals to follow.

Second it answers the question, 'What do I want to be remembered for?"

Mission Statement
A mission statement is a declaration of who you are, why you exist, and what you intend to go for on the basis you will never get there. However moment by moment you can check you are in alignment

In business, the organisational mission answers the big question:
'What is our business?" In personal planning, the question is
'What is my life's business?" In both cases, the answer must define the reason for being.

Core Values
Our values act as our compass, guiding us through life's terrain.

One certain way of knowing that you are living in accordance with your values is by defining guidelines and measurements for value centred living.

Code of Ethics
Words quietly influence our attitudes and opinions.

Codes of conduct, personal creeds, and pledges all reflect an effort to make sense of things, to organise behaviour, and to better understand ourselves.

Lifetime Objectives
Your objectives should be written within the framework of your Legacy & Mission Statements.

The key to any Personal Strategic Plan is to visualise your desired outcomes in advance. Be sure to write and rewrite your Lifetime Objectives as affirmations of the future you are working to realise.

Goals
The key in writing your goals is to make them not measurable, but motivational attainable relevant specific, and track-able.

Goals need to be written for each of the ten critical areas of life to include: Personal, Health, Recreation, Family, Friends, Community, Career, Financial, Household and Spiritual.

Personal Board of Directors
A personal board will accelerate your progress by providing both wisdom and support for the attainment of a specific purpose.

Maintenance & Performance Check-Ups:
On a monthly basis, you should pause to evaluate your performance.
What progress have you made? Where have your been challenged?
What do you need to do differently or more of?

It is also important to step back and consider whether any of your goals are unachievable.

Personal Reason Why:
You won't become successful until and unless you identify, support and empower your reasons why. Your why's provide fuel for achievement, and are the reasons behind all action and inaction.

The hallmark of all high achievers is a burning why. They know what they want, how and when they will achieve it, but most importantly they know WHY they want to become successful at achieving their goals.

In Summary
You can significantly increase the odds of success in 2003, if you know who you are, what you want, where you are going, how you will get there, and what you will do once you arrive

PS CHECK OUT MY NEW BOOK "you had me at hello" http://www.nigelrisner.com

Turning Limited People Limitless

Founder Member and Past President of the London Chapter Professional Speakers Association
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Motivational and inspirational keynotes
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