THE ACTION PLAN

What does interpose between our wishes and us?

Just a series of goal-focused actions that imply a certain amount of time

What is the best shot to maximize our chances of succeed?

A planning to take into account and face all the involved factors-leave the improvisation for the parties!

The Action Plan, as its name says, is a resource that helps us in the difficult and unavoidable responsibility to make our dreams come true. Do you want to know more about the Action Plan?

An Action Plan is a written document to set goals and the way to achieve them. It also can be defined as a comprehensive tool that provides framework (the context or shape) to carry out professional and personal projects (the content) It can be either very extensive or just a page, the main requirement is that it has to be followed; otherwise, it is just a waste of paper -and time-. It refers to two different levels:

1. The Strategy: what do I want to achieve?
2. The Tactics: how and when will I achieve that?

I have never met any 100% accomplished Action Plan. Why bother to build and follow it?

Because:

1. It sticks you to your priority goals -avoiding procrastination
2. It guides you on the decision-taking
3. It helps you tracking your progress and analyzing the reasons of your successes and failures

No matter the format, it should contain 3 main areas:

1. THE GOALS (“Where do I want to go?”)

• Set one, two or three goals. No more needed. The key is to discard, which allows you to focus on the important
• The difference between a goal and a dream is the willingness to achieve them

2. THE ACTIONS (“How will I get there?”)

• You will not get to the goal if you do nothing; write the necessary and specific actions that will take you to that
• If you do not know any of them yet, leave it blank to complete it when possible

3. THE RESOURCES (“What will I need”?

• Specify the things (money, people or stuff) that you will to use, ask, buy, consult or borrow and the required actions (go back to number 2) to make it possible

4. THE TIME (“When?”)

• Each action requires a timing to be implemented: write down when are you going to carry out the following ones and assign them weekly to your calendar

Additional Tips

• An Action Plan is a living document, not a piece of art in a museum: review, modify and complete it in the passionate journey
• Never forget the “Why”: goals are amazing, but just if they make you happy and fulfills you
• Thresh the big goals in small goals. It is always easier to climb 1.000 little mountains that to scale Mount Everest at once
• If possible, think of a B Plan (with its respective B Actions). The more complex the goal, the more necessary the backup option.

What are you waiting for?

“Build your Action Plan, turn your dreams into goals and pursue them to make them real!”