Last week we explained that reviewing and redefining your core/shared values is a way to kick start your life and your business. You can read last week’s blog here.
After clarifying your values, the second step for getting back on track is creating a plan.
The beauty of a plan
Lewis Carrol in Alice in Wonderland: “If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take”. However, even if you are unsure where you want to go, it does matter which path you take.
Any path congruent with your values will be preferred, compared to a path in the opposite direction. A plan often starts with goals such as losing weight, exercising more, improving relationships, building financial wealth, or scaling business growth.
I have yet to meet anyone who purposely and intentionally becomes alcoholic, obese, a chronic gambler, or bankrupt. Those outcomes usually occur when there is no sound plan (or because of personal sabotage).
Inertia
Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to a change in its velocity. Because of inertia we must exert more effort to start a stationery object moving, than to keep a moving object moving in the direction it is already going.
A plan with written goals in alignment with your values, and action steps to progress each goal will get you moving. Getting started is the hardest part (because of inertia), but once started momentum will help you keep going.
For example, an aeroplane requires considerable energy to take off and reach cruising speed. But once cruising it takes little energy for the pilots to change the plane’s direction by just a few degrees, which on long haul flights may cause the plane to land in a different city or country completely – all with little or no extra energy expended.
Just Get Started
Choosing a goal/direction, creating a plan, and taking action overcomes inertia. Momentum and the laws of physics allow you to fine tune goals and action steps with little additional energy required. To be effective a plan must be:
- In writing
- Simple, easy to read
- Reviewed and updated regularly
- Have action steps with deadlines and responsibilities allocated
- Accountability to others.
Q2’s One Page Business Planning Process
Q2’s “one page” business planning process for small businesses takes just half a day and allows business owners to think about what they want from the business, strategies to achieve those outcomes, and the associated action steps. Meeting quarterly with an independent person to review the plan, as well as progress made and challenges encountered, holds the owners accountable.
This process is affordable and allows fine tuning and updating both goals and action steps to keep the plan relevant and timely.
To find out more about Q2’s One Page Business Planning workshops – click here.