Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don’t change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan- John C. Maxwell
We are already almost at the end of the year and I have already messed up my writing plan! I have not written as much as I planned to. What of you? How have you done with executing on the plans you set for yourself at the beginning of the year, to enable you reach your goals. If you are on track with all that you set out to do, good for you! I will definitely like to learn some of your tips on what you have done to be at the top of your game. And if not, welcome to my world!
When I listened recently to what of my mentors said about failed plans, I moved from feeling guilty to liberated. Expect that your plans will fail. Don’t knock yourself over because you did not actualize your plans, and it is only two months gone. It may be that you planned to go to gym four times a week, or start an online course. After the first month, things got in the way and you have not gone back to gym in four weeks. You also may not have logged on to your online course after the first two lessons.
I had planned to write an article or a blog once a week but I just did not get to it. While it was a priority, somehow I let it slip. This is what Steven Covey terms the important but not urgent things. This is important to me (and still remains that way) because writing about personal leadership and productivity aligns with my vision of inspiring you and other growth minded individuals achieve your highest potential. The fact that your plans may have stalled does not mean you have a failed vision. It is also liberating for you to know that your plans will rarely stay the same. And it is okay to adjust the plan without feeling guilty. What is critical is that you must be resolute and dogmatic about achieving your vision.
The plan you have set to achieve your goal may have been too unrealistic and almost impossible to attain, in the first place. For example If you have a full time job, spend two hours in traffic, and your gym is 30 minutes away from your home or place of work. It will be almost impossible to make the gym four times a week. What is needed is to adjust your plan, or come up with a new plan – buy a treadmill or walk/jog around your neighborhood three times a week. The vision of been fit and slimmer still remains intact, the plan has just been modified to align with your current realities
Plans are not set in stone and so rigid that they cannot be changed. They are meant to serve you in accomplishing your goals and not vice versa. It is okay to modify them to suit you.
What is also important is that you modify your plan and keep moving with the revised plan. Yes, I did not write as often as I truly desired, but I took a small step and wrote on the last day of February! A small step is much better than taking no step!
Which of your plans have you stalled on and what is the one small step you can take to get you moving towards your goal?