It is said “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” But for far too many people it is not the fear of failure that holds them back, but the fear of success. Consequently, many choose the mediocre, the safe, the comfortable and complacently and placidly meander through life. A few, daring souls venture into the deep, climb the highest mountains, and choose to fly with eagles rather than hang out with turkeys. I would rather fail striving to achieve the impossible dream than languish in the miasma of the mundane. I will soar, I will be, I will achieve what few even dare to hope for. So, here I am - seeking the riches of the ages, asking of myself my utmost and knocking on the door of wonder.
Failing to plan for success is the number one reason why both individuals and organizations do not achieve their goals. Success plans start with a clear agenda, specified targets, accountability measures, and a well defined set of objectives. A clear agenda requires understanding what is and is not within objective parameters. Most simply this means understanding where your lane is and staying in your lane. More fail to achieve success because they are trying to do it all, they are all over the place, and they are pursuing divergent goals. Being single minded of purpose, from the scriptures, captures this. It means knowing when to say no, when to back away, when to push forward, and when to pace yourself. It means understanding both your limits and opportunities. This is associated with the second item in your plan for success. That is you must have specified, achievable and mission dictated targets. These targets are not fixed, but reflect the constantly changing system parameters as both internal and external constraints an opportunities avail themselves. Specifying target dates within system parameters allows all on the team to be able to determine when and if course change is needed, when and what types of resources are on hand, needed, or redundant, and what if any kinds of obstacles are or may be in your way. the third element in your plan of success is having accountability measures. These accountability measures makes clear who, when and where responsibility and task lie. Remember that which is not measured, rewarded, and identified becomes stumbling blocks, missed opportunities, and the sources of both individual and organizational frustration. Lastly, your success plan must have a clear and well defined set of objectives. You must be able to judge when, where and under what circumstances you have achieved your goals. This means, from the outset, knowing where you are going, how you will get there, and the things you will need on your journey. Planning requires you to be well prepared, well resourced, and determined to make success happen. Finally, success planning means that you understand this is a process not an event. As a process you must be willing, capable, and able to make success happen.
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