Strategies = Results

 Give yourself the edge.



Many times, when we are under the gun, we dive into a project without doing any preplanning. This is usually a big mistake which will wind up costing us more time — and probably more money in the end than it should. But this doesn’t have to be your modus operandi. If you are willing to invest the time to make a strategic plan, it will be much easier for you to execute it when the time comes.

What most people don’t realize is that a plan does not need to be complicated to be effective. It can consist of as little as two steps. For example, if you want to lose weight, all you need to do is follow Step 1: Diet, and Step 2: Exercise. Of course, this concept is easier to understand than it is to master.

You may be thinking, “If a plan is that simple, why write it down at all?” The answer is that if you don’t write it down, you’re not taking the first step to make sure that you follow through until you achieve your goal. Like most entrepreneurs, I frequently find myself starting far more tasks than I can handle in the time I have allotted to myself. Not all of the tasks are of equal magnitude or difficulty. It’s up to me to decide which ones I want to tackle first and which are the most important to complete.

By writing down a list of all the tasks in front of me, it gives a sense of control over all of them. I may not be able to check each one off the first day I try, but I can look at the results and measurement progress. That, in and of itself, makes it easier to take on the other tasks.

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan." - Eleanor Roosevelt