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making things happen

The Thing About Making A Plan

February 26, 2017 By Michele Woodward 3 Comments

The first business plan for my coaching practice was written on the back of a placemat while waiting for a lobster in an out-of-the-way shack in Maine. It was 2004, and I was on my way to visit some friends for a little R&R. I started thinking about my business and made a few notes:

– How much money I wanted to make in the next year

– How I would price my services to meet my income goals

– How many clients that meant I needed

– What kind of programs that meant I needed to offer

– What kind of additional training I would need

– How I would talk about my services

While I deconstructed a delicious lobster, I noodled on my plan. And when I removed the very attractive bib from around my neck and paid my check, I had a strong, workable direction for my business.

And I put that one-year plan in my purse and didn’t look at it again for six months.

Surprisingly, though, in that six months, I had done everything on my plan. Ahead of plan.

That’s right – I didn’t obsess, or over-think. I just executed.

Because the mere process of creating the plan – just putting my to-dos top of mind – catalyzed my action.

Now, there are those who detest plans. Maybe because they think plans are too rigid, don’t allow for creativity, aren’t that spontaneous, won’t accommodate serendipity.

[These people tend to – in Myers-Briggs talk – have a strong preference for “Perceiving”, the dear darlings. They value flexibility above all and will do anything in their power to preserve their ability to go with the flow. And I completely get it. That’s why I started this post of with the lobster story – just to show all those P people that planning can be easy. And tasty.]

A great plan, though, is not judged on how many tabs, tables and cross-references it includes.

A great plan is judged on how well it works.

With a plan, you know where to put your energy.

With a plan, you have a direction.

With a plan, you know what to say a whole-hearted “Yes!” to, and what to put in the “When There’s Time” file.

And planning can be easy. Easy-peasy.

Want to do one yourself? OK, take out a placemat-sized piece of paper. [lobster bib always optional.]

Answer these prompts:

– What do you want right now, more than anything?

– What’s your life going to be like when you get what you want? What’s it going to look like?

– Who are you when you’re at your best? What elements are in place? Which of these things already support getting what you want?

– What’s the first thing you need to do?

– Whose help do you need to do it?

– When can you start?

Focus, and put your best effort into these questions. When you’re done, you’ll realize that you have a plan, sugar.

Then fold it up and put it in your pocket.

And I’ll bet you, in six months, you’ve accomplished everything that needs doing.

Bet you a lobster dinner.

 

 

Filed Under: Authenticity, Blog, Career Coaching, Happier Living Tagged With: creating, making a plan, making things happen, planning, visioning, visualizing

Can You Dream?

August 4, 2013 By Michele Woodward Leave a Comment

inscription dream on the sand at the beach.

So someone asked me about dreams, and I thought instead of writing my answer, I’d say it. Happy listening.

Listen now streaming on your device:


Or download all seven minutes for listening later:



[If you like this format, will you let me know in the comment section? Merci!]

 

 

Filed Under: Blog, Career Coaching, Clarity, Getting Unstuck, Happier Living, Uncategorized Tagged With: Abundance, dreams, fear, goals, lack, making things happen, reaching your dream

Let’s Play Ball

June 27, 2010 By Michele Woodward Leave a Comment



Do you know Seth Godin? OK, I don’t know Seth Godin – but my friend Pam does, so that makes me one degree of separation from Seth. [Just for the record, I am also one step from Kevin Bacon two different ways – Anne will write me later today to say, “He’s my neighbor!”, and Kevin played my friend Mike’s dad in a film.

So, obviously, I win “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon“, thank you very much.]

But back to Seth.

Seth is a blogger. A writer. A thought leader. Every day, he writes a shortish blog post that usually prompts great thinking.

I say “usually” because, frankly, sometimes what he writes kinda misses. Sometimes it’s out there. Or just a bit off.

Which, naturally, reminds me of baseball.

Bear with me.

Do you know that the guy who has the all-time highest batting average in the history of baseball, Ty Cobb, failed two out of three times he was at the plate? Yep, Ty Cobb’s sterling average was .366, which means that he got one hit just about every three times he was at bat.

And he’s the all-time leader.  All-time.  Which, for those keeping score at home, means “amazing”.

So, it’s OK if Seth swings and misses once in a while. At least he’s in the batter’s box, taking a swipe at it.

Seth uses a word to describe being up at the plate – he calls it “shipping”. His point, and it’s a good one, is that shipping – being out there doing what you do – is more important than being perfect.

And here’s where so many people struggle. They anguish, and languish, and never, ever ship. Because what they’re doing has to be perfect. Because every time they stand at the plate, they have to hit a home run.

Which, is, of course, statistically impossible.

I shipped last week. I launched the 5 Questions That Can Change Your Life. I wrote it on Monday and tested it, talked about it, edited it, and put it up for sale by Sunday. This past Friday, I did a class about the 5 Questions, which you can download here.

Hundreds of people have been exposed to this idea in the last week, and tell me that they’re clearer and have a better direction as a result. For that, I am gratified.

But most of all, I’m really happy that I shipped.

I didn’t anguish, or languish. I got it out there.

Using this same strategy, my new book I Am Not Superwoman: Further Essays on Happier Living, should be available next month.  (I receive the physical proof this week!)  But here’s what you need to know – this collection of essays took a little over two months to go from manuscript to physical book.  No anxiety, no hand-wringing, no second guessing.  Why?  Because my focus was on shipping, and shipping soon.

So let me ask you this simple question: where do you need to ship? Where do you need to get in that batter’s box and take a swing?

Kiddo, stop sitting in the bleachers, a spectator at the game of your own life.  Get in there.  Take a swing.  Because, statistically speaking, one of these at-bats you’re going to get a hit.  And it just might be a homer.

Filed Under: Clarity, Getting Unstuck, Happier Living Tagged With: 5 Questions That Can Change Your Life, batting average, making things happen, Pam Slim, Seth Godin, shipping, taking action, Ty Cobb

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