A personal strategic plan-of-action (POA) is simply a guide that can help a person track their progress and stay in alignment with achieving goals. It serves as a constant reminder and assurance that the things s/he is aiming for are in alignment with the things that truly matter to him/her in defining their quality of life. In other words, a personal strategic plan is like a map that can help show you the way as you grow, in all aspects of life.
1st STEP:
Imagine – Be Creative – Dream. Having a vision of what your “healthy self” looks like, what it feels like to be “healthy” and how you will be living your life.
Whether you want to lose/gain weight, reduce your stress levels, or control chronic aches, pains, and malaises – if you don’t plan to succeed you’re planning to fail. THE KEY TO ACHIEVABLE OUTCOMES is rather simple once you get the hang of it! The secret is in both – KEEPING THE PLAN SIMPLE & CLEAR (or concise).
STRUCTURES ARE POWER, they give us a “format” to act from. They create certainty of results. Not unlike businesses, personal strategic plans are STRUCTURES built around a hierarchy of needs. According to Changing Minds, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is based on five key elements: self-actualization, self-esteem, belonging-love, safety, and psychological needs. Your vision, mission, and values should be created in the same manner–ultimately, around what you need and value the most in your life.
The foundation of any personal strategic plan is a vision, mission, values, and goals. The vision is where you would like to be in as few as three months or as many as 15 years or more. Your personal mission is what you would like to become based upon what you value.
What you value drives your mission and vision. Values are what is important to you. Is it financial security? Education? Values don’t have to be centered on financial stability. If you value honesty, compassion, truthfulness, love, or tranquility, these can make useful value statements as well. Knowing your “values” (those things that matter to you) will help in setting a vision and goal setting. Goals should always be attainable and measurable. Clearly defined goals are easier to put a strategic plan behind, which increases the chances of reaching your goal. Do you currently have all the tools or resources to get you there? If not, determine what you need and set daily steps toward attainment.
A personal strategic plan is a living document. Stay focused, evaluate it constantly, and make changes when necessary.
ONE BITE AT A TIME – AND THE SAME IS TRUE FOR STRATEGY CREATION – DO IT ONE STEP AT A TIME
List your priorities and think of the simplest, most logical first step you can take. It may be tempting to decide that you want to lose 40 pounds, run in a marathon, meditate every day – but the reality is that such big changes won’t fit into your current schedule or patterns of behavior. Too big of a change will be exciting for a week, then fun for ten days, then disruptive after two weeks – and then you’ll stop.
The key to maintaining your personal strategic plan is simplicity and
regular review. You should have an appropriate number of achievable goals for each area (physical, mental, spiritual)- if this is your first time using a personal strategic plan, three goals in each area may be a good start. Be wary of the temptation to create a long list of goals that you won’t really be able to accomplish.
Make it easy to regularly review your goals:
• schedule time to review your plan every month;
• keep your goals in front of you – on your phone, on your desk, online calendar
Plans are only as effective as they are fresh and usable. Set an annual time for deep reflection and use it to update your plan. Consider taking a personal retreat and set time aside to think deeply about your plan – use this as an opportunity to assess, adjust, and adapt set new goals on a regular basis.
Remember to celebrate your accomplishments! It is not easy to change our behavior or our selves. or to take control of our time and where we put our energy. In addition to looking ahead, give yourself time to review and take pride in what you have accomplished.
