“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now” ~Alan Lakein
At The Wineinger Company, strategic planning is a huge part of what we do. Whether it’s one on one career coaching, or corporate training, we could not guide our clients to where they want to be without utilizing a strategic planning process. In the words of Antoine de Saint-Exuprey, “A Goal without a plan is just a wish”. In this post, we want to outline a few steps for making your dreams and goals a reality with a strategic plan. This applies to any area of your life!
Before we begin, it’s a good idea to write as we go along. whether it’s a journal, notebook, chart, or file on your computer, it’s.. shall we say.. strategic.. to keep track in an organized fashion.
1. REFLECT.
- Relax– Get somewhere comfortable where you can relax. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back and take a deep breath. We’re going to start by doing some reflection. Before making any kind of plan, it’s important to take a step back and really look at the situation.
- Self-assessment– jot some notes, or make a list of things about yourself. Strengths, things you’d like to improve, etc.
- Year in Review– Take a look over this past year. Think about some key themes in your life. What have you learned? Make some lists of your accomplishments and challenges. How did they happen? What were your key takeaways from each accomplishment or challenge?
2. DREAM.
- Welcome to the future. Pretend it’s several years in the future. Think about the outcomes you would like to see.
- Categorize. To help think of some specific goals, try categorizing. Jot down some things you would like to see happen in these categories of your life over the next several years. For example, Faith, Community, financial, career, family, physical, etc.
3. PLAN.
- Focus. Now that we’ve done some reflecting and dreaming, it’s time to start honing in on some goals. Write a list of some specific goals.
- Strategize. Now it’s time to bring it all together and create your strategic plan. Realize, first, that a realistic strategic plan is not going to accomplish everything you dream of doing and being in a mere 12 months. Depending on your goals, your strategic plan can be 1, 3, 5 years or whatever you want it to be. As long as you can set goals, and plan to execute.
- Once you have written down some specific goals, chart a plan to take the appropriate steps to accomplish these goals. (Our strategic planning training will guide you through this in detail! contact us for details!)
- Be Accountable. It’s always easier to make a journey with a companion. We recommend working with a coach, mentor, or colleague. Someone that you can be accountable to who will help you stay on track.
- Reward yourself! That’s right. Par-TAY! Even if your goal is something like quitting an unhealthy habit, planning to reward yourself is just another way to help you stay focused and achieve your goals. Maybe you can purchase something that you wouldn’t normally buy yourself, or just plan a fun night out with your friends or significant other… have fun! Then you’ll be nice and refreshed and ready to tackle your next goal!
Here at the Wineinger Company, we take strategic plans seriously. The above are general steps for strategic planning. We recommend that you take advantage of our personalized training and coaching– wherein we guide you more specifically through how to create your strategic plan as well as many other developmental processes. Contact us to find out more!
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