The Trick to Achieving Success: Have a Plan

January is almost over; time to review your first month’s progress for the New Year.

Did you achieve your goals?

If this question makes you uncomfortable, I’ll take it that you either

1. Didn’t achieve your goals for the month, or
2. Didn’t set any goals to begin with.

Worst case, you did not develop a plan for the year at all.

Let’s have a moment of silence for anyone without a plan.

The trick to achieving success is to have a plan.

This includes setting goals. The plan does not have to be an elaborate PowerPoint presentation with schematics set to music. What it does need are realistic, achievable, goals with action items and a time table for results.

Some people refer to these as SMART goals. Whatever you need to make it work, just do it.

Recently Hubby and I met with our mortgage lender who works independently without the comfort of a large firm backing him up. He’s smart, easy to work with, explains the details in a way that we understand, and watches out for our best interests. And he’s successful.

In his office I noticed a small grease board with “2016” written at the top. Below was the number of new mortgages he was going to close; the number of new clients he wanted to engage; and personal goals that included vacations and flying lessons. This small board hung on a wall facing his desk so he had to see it every time he looked up.

It’s a daily reminder of what he needs to do in order to be successful in 2016.

His board made me realize I was behind in my planning and had failed to set my goals for the year. Usually I write them on my own grease board and place it in a prominent location. This year, they are still in my head, swimming around with all sorts of to-do lists and other distractions.

Successful people are not successful because it just happens; they are successful because they plan the work and work the plan.

We’ve got a few days left in this first month, people, to get this year started on the right foot.

• Write down your goals for the rest of the year.
• Include dates for completion.
• Review your plan each month.
• Adjust accordingly.

Most importantly: place your goals where you can see them every day.

Now, GO! We have work to do.