"From Inaction to Action"

As professionals, we often chart a yearly development course. This may be in the form of vision boards, journals or lists. These are all great, however, they cannot stand alone. Let me expand......

Have you ever wondered "how am I going to start this development process?" We all have! In the midst of our daily daily hustle we all experience these thoughts.

Two words....Action Plan. When we hear action plan we often feel a sense of overwhelm. Just the thought of formulating a plan within our already busy schedules can be daunting. What if I told you it can be as easy as 1..2..3.

But first let's discuss what is an action plan and why an action plan. 

An action plan is a series of lists of tasks which are formulated to give you the user a step by step guide, leading you to goal achievement or completion of a project.

The key driving force of the action plan is its focus on progress toward the larger goal. For the success of action plan, each task needs to have a clearly outlined purpose and deadline. This will facilitate the high performance that every professional desires.

As stated earlier an action plan is a guide, not only a guide but an instruction manual of sorts. It tells you what steps you should take and when you should take them.

The action plan also acts as a motivator. It is important for you to find your motivating variable in the action plan process. My main motivator is writing. I write the goals and list the corresponding action. The goals are usually divided into subsets, thereby allowing me to celebrate the small wins.

As you devise your action plan, it is important to carefully consider the priority of each action. Ensure that you use the SMART model....Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time bound. 

Another mechanism by which you can ensure overall success is the identification of long term Vs short term goals. This will help you to stay organized and focused.

Contrary to popular belief action plans are quite simple if you have the right guidance.................. Get the right guidance today.

 Arlene Hamblin-Paul