Why writing down your goals and creating a plan separates hope from achievement.
This week’s impactful action is to plan your work and work your plan. I’ve seen this phrase attributed to a wide variety of people, so as far as I can tell, there’s no definitive agreement as to its origin, but the message is clear. You need to have a plan, and you need to get to work on it.
So let me ask you: Do you have a plan? A plan to get out of debt, to advance in your career, to find a significant other (or improve your relationship with the one you have), to get in better shape, to live the life you want to live?
It’s amazing to me how many people don’t. They simply float through life, hoping things will get better one day. And sometimes they do. But oftentimes, they don’t. Do you really want to leave it up to chance (or luck) and keep your fingers crossed that things will get better for you? Or do you want to take control of your life and MAKE it better?
According to the best research I could find (otherwise known as a quick Google search), somewhere between 3 percent and 14 percent of Americans have written goals (3 PERCENT!?!?) and even fewer review and rewrite their goals on a consistent basis. That’s unbelievable to me, because study after study shows that people with clear, tangible goals significantly outperform those without goals.
An often-cited Harvard Business study revealed some startling statistics related to goal setting and success. The study found that upon graduation, 84% of the students had no specific goals at all; 13% had set specific goals that were written down, but had no concrete plan to accomplish them. Only 3% had written their goals down along with a plan to achieve them.
Well, 10 years later, guess what, the 13% with written goals were making twice as much money as the 84% with no goals. The more astonishing finding is that the 3% who had both written goals and a plan were making 10 TIMES more than the other 97% of the students they graduated with. As if that wasn’t enough evidence, not only were they making significantly more money, but they were spending more time with their family, had more vacation days, and more life satisfaction. They were 10 TIMES happier and more successful.
If I asked you “Do you have any goals?” you would probably say yes. But if I asked you, “Can I take a look at them?” what would you say? Well, unless you’re in the 3%, you’d say, “Well, I don’t have them written down.” Ok then, can I see your plan to achieve them? I’ll bet you don’t have that written down either, do you?
Well, my friend, if you don’t have your goals written down along with a plan to achieve them, you don’t have any goals. You have hopes, dreams, and wishes. And those are great to have. But without a plan to achieve them, it highly unlikely they’ll ever come true.
There’s another old saying that failing to plan is planning to fail. I don’t know anyone who wants to fail on purpose, but I know a lot of people who are planning to fail because they have failed to plan.
If you are like the vast majority of people who want a better life, it’s time you put together a plan to make it happen. If you need help, Google “How to set goals” and you’ll find over 500 million results. Have fun with that. But seriously, there is no one perfect way to set goals, so pick one and go through the process. Once you have them written down, devise your plan.
Pick the first step you’re going to take and then take that step. Then figure out the next step. Repeat this process until you achieve your goal. Then set another goal. Review your goals regularly and make adjustments when needed. You will be shocked if you do this. There’s a reason why those who do accomplish so much more than those who don’t.
Let me leave you with this: Please don’t complain about how life just hasn’t worked out the way you planned when you never had a plan in the first place. If you’re not happy about the way things are working out for you, do something about it. Make a plan and make it happen.
Remember, it’s hard for your life to go as planned if you don’t have a plan for your life.
If you plan your work and work your plan you can make an impact, and you can lead a Full Life.
Thanks for reading, now go make an impact!