Last week we marked the 65th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. The planning that took place for this massive Allied undertaking was extensive. One of the contributors to the plan was Winston Churchill, one of the great strategic minds of the 20th century. Sir Winston said, “Plans are worthless, planning is invaluable.”
What did he mean by that
statement? How does this impact you? On June 6, 1944, ships landed on the wrong
beach, airborne troops were dropped many miles off target, communications broke
down, intelligence that was gathered prior to the attack was not accurate and
many other events occurred that were not anticipated.
In order to be successful you
must have GOALS, to reach those goals you must have a plan. The lessons that I
take from history and apply to planning are just that; develop plans to reach
your goals, anticipate obstacles, be prepared to change your assumptions but
not your conviction. Berlin and the defeat of the Nazi’s remained the goal,
however, the obstacles the Allies encountered after D-Day required many
adjustments and new directions to achieve their ultimate goal.
Steps in setting SMART goals.
The
Art of Goal Setting
S- specific
M- measurable
A- attainable
R- realistic
T- time bound
1. Narrow your focus and be specific when setting goals. Concentration is the key to
success, the more defined your goal the greater your focus.
2. What gets measured gets done. Write down your goals and how you plan on
measuring your progress. When you can see the goal you tap more energy and conviction.
3. When developing your goals you must consider where are
you now. The goal has to be something you believe you are capable of doing. Make sure your goal is something you enjoy doing,
your commitment to stay the course will be helped if you enjoy the journey.
4. When you evaluate and review your goals make sure they
are not too easy. There will be
times you struggle and times you progress faster than expected.
5. There needs to be a beginning and end. Your
progress should be tracked at regular intervals. There must be accountability;
it is easier to stay on track when you have support and reminders. Benchmarks
and time periods are several examples, having a coach to provide feedback is
invaluable.
Napoleon Hill said, “Whatever
the mind of man can conceive and believe it can achieve.” You are the master of
your fate. The principles listed above can change your destiny. People take
more time to plan a two-week vacation then they invest in planning their lives.
Invest in yourself; write down your goals and plans now!
CoachAnovick.com
Developing Potential, Producing Results
Paul Anovick
201-445-2822
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