You Can't Succeed Without a Plan: Here's How to Create One
The Heart of Happy Planning for Success
The other day I overheard someone say something to the effect of, "you can't reach your goal if you don't have a map to get there." My reaction was a very strange simultaneous mix of "duh" and "aha!" So many of us get so amped on goals and dreams and hopes that we forget the most important part: to plan for it all. Dreams don't come true overnight and the only way to reach them is to build a road map you can follow, little by little, day by day, to get there. It's so easy overlook the fact that everyone you view as "successful" only got there through grit and perseverance—by starting small habits that led to big change—but that's how it works! So if you've got a goal you're dreaming about, but haven't acted on yet, it's time to start planning. Here's how I'm planning for mine. Feel free to use the same blueprint:
GOAL: Avoid sugar for 30 days.
POTENTIAL OBSTACLES: Cravings // social gatherings // trigger foods that make me crave sugar // trigger emotions that make me crave sugar
It's important to TRY to foresee obstacles before they occur. We all know ourselves well enough to know what gets in our way. When you're prepared to combat the obstacles that ruined your progress last time, you'll be that much more likely to persevere this time.
PROBLEM-SOLVE BEFORE YOU START: Always have backup snacks on hand to curb cravings // tell friends what I'm doing so they don't pressure me to eat treats // ask myself what I'm feeling if I start craving sweets
👆 These are my fail-safes if any of the obstacles try to get in my way (and they will). When you have a Plan B in place, you'll be far more likely to use it (than coming up with one on the spot). If your goal is career-related, some of your obstacles might be "anxiety" or "fear of failure" or "not sure where to start." Write it all out—what's stopping you? There's a solution for everything. If you get anxiety, tell yourself that when it strikes you'll give yourself 5 minutes to meditate on the fact that you've got this. If you have fear of failure, do the same and remind yourself that so many successful people dealt with failure before making it to their happy places. If you aren't sure where you start, literally GOOGLE it. The internet is magical. Also, start asking friends. They know more than you think. ;)
NOW TO CREATE THE PLAN
I have my basic goals and obstacles laid out. Time to devise the plan. Since my goal is food-related, I really just have to map out an action list to ensure I know what all my meals for the week will be—and based on my obstacles, I've learned I'll need a lot of healthy snack options readily available for whenever the cravings hit. Here's mine:
Research Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, and Dinner recipes that I like, that don't include sugar, and that will keep me full and satisfied
Choose my favorite recipes and bookmark them in my browser
Create this week's meal plan based on faves—that means EVERY meal is mapped out and accounted for
Build a grocery list based on meal plan
Go to grocery store
Prep whatever I'll need for the next day or so, since we're mid-week and I can't realistically do a full week's worth of meal prep
Ensure healthy snacks are readily available and quick to reach
Plan time on Saturday or Sunday to full-on prep food for the next week, since doing that mid-week is a nightmare
Schedule 5 minutes each day to write about what I'm experiencing so I can share it all with YOU.
If you were devising a plan related to a BUSINESS or CAREER goal, this is the part where you'd map out a BABY STEP to-do list: create a list of people you can email for outreach, devise the kind of response you'll give to those who get back to you, and think up one actionable step PER DAY to ensure you are moving forward daily. Make each step easy (break one overwhelming step into 4 small ones if you have to) so as not to stress you out and let you down. Imagine if I'd written down "1. Meal Plan. 2. Grocery Shop" above. It's too vague—breaking it all down into really easy, actionable steps makes it so much easier to follow. Okay, guys. That's it for today. I'll share my meal plan with you later this week, but wanted to at the very least let you know how I break down my planning process. Stay tuned! Starting tomorrow it's GOODBYE, SUGAR!