Unleashing the Fire Within: Creating Effective Action Plans to Conquer Your Life Goals
“A goal without an action plan is a daydream.” -Nathanial Branden
Setting goals for ourselves is essential for our happiness and well-being. As we near the end of the year, it is that time of year that we reflect on all that we have achieved this year, and what we want to accomplish next year. Setting goals gives us a baseline of what we want to achieve. Without an action plan, the goals we set for ourselves may be put on the back burner and forgotten until it is time to set our resolutions again. Having a result-focused mindset and creating an effective action plan, we can create and maintain timelines that guide us to achieving our goals. To start making effective action plans, you first have to understand what an action plan is and how to hold yourself accountable.
Action planning is the process that guides the day-to-day activities that will enable you to fulfill your greatest life vision. To create an effective action plan, you first need to look at your goal and identify the steps needed to achieve your goal. If you have a rather ambitious goal, breaking it down into short-, medium-, and long-term goals allows you to set more manageable action plans for yourself. For example, if you are trying to lose weight and you only focus on your goal weight, you may lose motivation if you don’t start seeing results in the first few weeks of trying. Instead, start with eating healthy, then go to the gym a few times a week, and lastly, sign up for a fun run or other type of race. These smaller, more achievable goals will boost your confidence and allow you to make action plans for how these goals will look in your everyday life.
The next step of action planning is making a deadline for when you want to achieve your goal. If you have a large goal you want to achieve within a year, you have to know when you expect yourself to achieve each step of your goal. For instance, one of your resolutions is to write a book next year. Unless you are planning on writing a children’s book, you have to plan what you want to write about, the chapter contents, and when you or if you want to publish the book. It’s important to set timelines for when you want to outline the book, for each chapter, your goal for finishing the book, and when you want to publish. Though it is important to set timelines for yourself, it is equally important for you to hold yourself accountable. Without these, again, you may find yourself near the end of the year with a book that was neither started nor completed.
The last important step for creating an effective action plan for yourself is looking at all the resources and inputs you need. As I stated in my last post, as you pursue a new goal, you are likely going to have to gain new knowledge and learn new skills along the way. Adding the resources and external inputs that may benefit you along your journey can help take some of the stress and anxiety away when it is time for you to take that next step. As I have pursued my Life Coaching career, I have had to gather resources and obtain new knowledge of the field for me to feel confident in working with others along the way. Without allowing myself time to gain the knowledge and skills I have obtained, I would be less effective in aiding people in their journey of self-growth and setting and achieving their goals.
As a Life Coach, I can teach others how to have a result-focused mindset when it comes to pursuing and achieving their goals. Creating action plans for myself and others is a crucial step in achieving our goals. As long as you can ask yourself what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and what resources and inputs you need, you can create effective action plans that can help you on your day-to-day journey of pursuing your goal.
Have you ever wondered why Service Dogs have more access than Emotional Support Animals? Come back after the New Year as I debate the difference between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals. I hope that you all have a wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year. Always remember, we can all rise from our ashes and soar.