Plan your work – Work your Plan
Napoleon Hill
If you fail to plan, You are planning to fail.
Benjamin Franklin
One of the greatest things I have inherited from my mom, abuelita (my grandma), and all the women before them was their organizational skills and passion for things being in their proper place. My mom is notorious for making plans or at the least adjusting the particulars at the hint of anyone of us discussing a couple of lines of an idea.
My nephew, who I adoringly refer to as Dr. Robinson is turning the big 23 this weekend and is experiencing “adulting” in his 20’s even as a student. There is so much about him that I could share but I will save for the book (smile). He is doing so well and making the adjustments as needed. But I am aware there are some things no one in their 20’s are prepared for. No matter how grown we thought we were, I dare you to admit how foolish we were in our choices or how unaware we were of the outcomes. What I gift to him is the very thing that his great grandmother, grandmother have bequeathed to his mom and I – the gift of setting oneself on a mission.
When it comes to planning, one of the things I would often hear from the more seasoned folks, “If you want to make God laugh, let Him know you are making plans“. It was their way of letting me know that even with my best laid plans, life can throw a curve ball.
I remember the goal I set for myself to become an elementary school teacher as a prelude to becoming a school guidance counselor. Throughout college and with fearless aplomb, I did everything to make this vision a reality. I had interned as a teacher’s assistant during my college years and built wonderful relationships to ensure quality references. I even had an open invitation to a head teaching position at the school I had interned as an after-school program leader. With diploma and credentials in hand, I was prepared to meet my goal. It seemed a dream come true! But a leisure trip to Los Angeles changed all those plans. Let’s just say that jaunt altered the trajectory of my planning. Life threw me a curve ball. While I did not become a teacher in LA, my degree and administration experience made me a suitable candidate for a receptionist position at Merrill Lynch in Downtown Los Angeles. Phone etiquette, organizational talents, and willingness to learn opened doors for me and what my potential could look like. You guessed it…I planned for a new future for myself. It was there that the beginning of my very successful career in administration and management became the very thing to which I devoted 30+ years.
In hindsight, I am truly grateful for this path in my life because it allowed me to be a standard for my niece and nephew. They saw me serve diligently and enjoy it. For the summer of 2006 both my niece and nephew joined me in Los Angeles. It was on this summer that the moniker – Dr. Robinson was spoken upon my little nephew. He attentively listened to a conversation I was having with a few established women who were doctors in their fields. I had begun thinking of furthering my education and was seeking wisdom on how best to achieve it. At which point, my little man giggled. He was unconvinced that women could be doctors and that there was such thing as being a doctor of any discipline other than medicine. After a public teaching moment, he and I had a separate conversation about how smart he was, and I praised him for welcoming the instruction. The beauty of that instant was that we spoke into existence a passion. And today, 13 years later Dr. Robinson is pursuing his dream to become a doctor. His passion for knowledge and service is opening the doors for his ability to achieving his vision. The memory of that day is an instant gratification and appreciation for setting in motion what is to be in his life.
I remind Dr. Robinson often of that summer day, when his young eight-year-old ears heard the valuable words of education and service toward others. Since that year, that is all we’ve ever called him. In fact, whenever he comes up in conversation, we refer to him as Dr. Robinson. Throughout his academic career, his mother proudly shared with me his excellent scores and GPA. So, on the day he decided to enter university, he carefully chose a small school aimed to offering a structured plan with attention from the staff. He has flourished in that environment and continues to take on pre-requisites to complete his degree.
Why plan? Planning helps to critically assess the goal to see if its realistic. It facilitates decision making and allows setting a time frame by predicting when a goal can be reached.
Creating a Plan for Success
Planning is crucial to your success even when things don’t go as you may have wanted them to go. The alternative is what may happen when you don’t plan at all. So rather than dwell on that piece of your life, lets start today and begin a plan for success. Below are a few of my favorite tips and ones I have used personally.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9
We should make plans. But I advise you to make those plans through counsel with God. By that it means, spending quiet time with God alone to discuss your passions, what comes easy to you, people and things in your life which carry enormous value. God wants the best for you. God has a purpose etched for your life. He wants to be sure you are in alignment with that purpose. He not only wants your success but also to place people in your life who share your interests and add to your joy. Remember, speak with God as you would your best friend. In that quiet time, words, phrases, songs, or thoughts will emerge and provide clarity for the next step, no matter what goal you are set to achieve.
Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Proverbs 21:5
If you are anything like me, I am such a doer, it is difficult to settle my mind and focus on achieving one thing. Whether you are planning your year ahead, a special event, your budget or career, here is my one of the most important tips to getting it right…write it down! And even more critical to the writing process is being intentional about your vision. I write everything down. I have countless journals which contain lists of things I wish to accomplish. From financial planning to losing weight to career options can be found in those journals. There are goals, I have listed and scratch off as completed. There is something magical about drawing a line through a task that leads to meeting a milestone. Match your intensity to succeed with your diligence. Nothing worth doing takes the lazy or easy road. Do the work! You will appreciate it more once you’ve hit milestones.
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 NLT
It is not accidental that I have served as an administrator to high level executives as well as have the access to the privileges to which this position offers. I have worked hard at being a helpmate and partner to my supervisors and I have reaped very well. I believe the reaping of the harvest is not just the money (although it can be) but its about the joy you can feel while doing what you do. The 7 dwarfs had it right – “whistle while you work”. Here’s another free tip: Try not identifying what you do as work; especially if what you are doing is your passion or purpose. To this day, I do not identify the work I do as “working for the man” or “doing what he or she wants”; I refer to it as service. Although I am the subordinate, I serve to make him or her a better leader or better manager. His or her successes are mine. I look great because I make them look great!
In your planning consider a few of my favorite tips:
- Always include the “why”. Perhaps during your time with God, He will make clear the why you are choosing a particular goal. In my case, the why was revealed in a random conversation which revealed being in service to others through my teaching, administration, and organizational gifts.
- Be flexible in your planning. Yes, planning is extremely important but allow “life to happen”. There can be a change in your health or death in the family that will alter your plans. Personally, becoming financially solvent (which is a valid plan God wants for you) became a critical part of my planning just as my parents separated and my sister had her children. I felt it was incumbent on me to be helpful to my family as needed. My heart was pure about my desire to be generous, and God saw fit for me to be a financial blessing when the need arose. Perhaps your goal was to pursue one career choice, and some life shattering event occurred to shift your plans or place a fork in your path. Be open to the chasm. Embrace the mess it may make. People change. Times change. Be the river and go with the flow; adjusting plans as you go.
- Reach out for support and wise counsel. There are no absolutes in life. Which means, aside from your constant communion with God, there are life’s unexpected moments that will blindside you. There will be questions you have, doubts you will encounter, fears to overcome – whatever those may be, asking for help or allowing help into your world are essential. This no place for pride and ego to take a foothold. Believe it or not, the enemy / the haters are deliberate in making you think you are less than if you allow others to share in your goals or help you with your plans. In fact, the opposite occurs. God gets in the middle of every situation the moment you allow others to be that wise counsel when needed. Be confident that the same God that leads you in your plans will direct people in your path to assist in your goals – in prayer, laughs, a listening ear, money or etc.
- Define, Develop and Deploy. Below are a few ways in how to pull off the near-perfect plan template for any objective you wish to chase to completion.
- Write it down!!! I cannot stress it enough. Documenting an effective action plan helps make it more real and becoming more committed to achieving them. Whether its a vision board or a journal or a drawing on a napkin, frame it and hang it where you can see it daily or at least when you need a reminder.
- Divide the goal into smaller milestones. Add due dates to smaller tasks. The goal is to lose 50 lbs. That goal may appear overwhelming but breaking it down to more manageable palatable milestones will help to develop discipline and keep you accountable. Yes, losing a healthy 2lbs per week over 25 weeks may be easier to handle and accomplish. It did for me!
- Identify the resources. Tap into friends, guidance counselors, experts in the field, trainers, life coaches, etc. If this is the goal God has placed on your heart to pursue, these resources will become quite easy to identify and relationships that will grow.
- Prioritize and assign all related tasks. Some smaller goals will have to be handled by you. You are the only one responsible for studying and taking those tests but perhaps there is a study buddy who can help you capture key points. There may be that person who will provide contacts or research about areas for which you are trying to get more information. Whatever it is, open yourself to the possibilities of what others can assist.
As Dr. Robinson celebrates another birth year around the sun this weekend, I dedicate these words of encouragement and instruction with the goal to urge him on and commemorate the way he has been adulting in his life. He is no longer a little boy; he is a magnificent upright young man in whom I am so super proud. He is reminded daily that we affectionately and cheerfully invest in him because we believe in him. My prayer is that when his confidence diminishes and life continues to throw him curve balls, he can open himself to receive the blessings of Godly counsel and belief in himself to achieve his purpose.
Dear God, Thank You for today. Thank You for the inspiration You give me to dream and to set goals for myself. I realize I am not guaranteed tomorrow, let alone the rest of today. But setting goals gives me the motivation to live out each day purposefully and with direction. So I pray that You would help me set my goals and then equip me to fulfill them. I submit each and every goal to You. May my goals reflect Your will for my life and may they glorify You. I pray for others who have goals and dreams that they desire to see happen. May You also equip them to reach those precious desires. Fill us with your awesome purpose in Jesus’ name AMEN!
Dr. Robinson, mark this moment in time.
…now what, Auntie Linda
now what, Linda? 