“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”
― Greg Reid
I recently shared with you how personal growth is all about motion. So now that you have all that to think about, how do you use that knowledge and put your plan into action?
- Think About Where You’ve Been
Think about your story. How did you get where you are today? What were your successes? What would you have done differently, if you could do it all over again? If you don’t know where you have been it’s harder to figure out where you are going. - Set Your Vision
Vision is what you see. Ask yourself “What’s it going to be like when I’m there?”—wherever there is. Sometimes you never reach your vision, and that’s ok. Your vision should be so aggressive that you technically never achieve it. - Transform Your Vision into Goals
Take your vision and say, “I want to be here by this date, and I want it to look like this.” Goals are simply a measurable objective that ideally get you further on the path to your vision. Keep in mind, for the first couple of years, your goals may not even get you close to your vision. At that point, it might be time to pivot your path and tweak your goals. - Follow a Pattern
Once you have your goals, it’s time to create a new pattern or follow a model to achieve those goals. You can’t control every outcome, but you can control the activity or process you use to get there. I started my financial advising career with $3,000 in credit card debt and $3,000 in the bank and worked on straight commission. This is a situation where I couldn’t control all the outcomes, but I was taught a model that I followed, and it worked. As I followed this pattern, I started to get predictable results.The consistency in this pattern was powerful for me—there was a point system that I was able to follow and measure daily results. It was so powerful to me that I have used it not just as a business model, but as a life model. - Evaluate the Pattern
To achieve your vision, you may have to adjust your actions. Following a consistent pattern will get you to a certain place but–like a half-time adjustment–you may need to reevaluate and adjust your path to move beyond a plateau and achieve greater results.
All of these steps help you strategically map out your growth plan. Think of it this way, if you’re planning a trip to Europe, you have an itinerary to maximize your vacation. This doesn’t mean you don’t make adjustments or adapt, but the key is to get the results you want and enjoy the journey to its fullest.
Think of your growth plan as your personal itinerary—it’s a guide that allows you to have the most memorable journey possible.
