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With the economy the way it is, people seem to be paralyzed right now. They seem stuck because of fear, no hope of finding work, or a false hope that things are going to magically turn around overnight. It’s not fun, but it’s where we’re at. But it’s now time to suck it up and get moving again.
1. Take inventory.
I’ve found that without the facts I tend to make decisions based on fear vs decisions based on truth. Take inventory so you know exactly where you’re at (finances, strengths, escape options). Also, don’t forget to add some perspective, family, great friends, blessings in life, these all count as huge positives on the inventory list.
2. Have a plan but don’t wait till it’s done.
Writing a 5-year plan is great. But if you don’t know what the next 30-90 days look like, it will prove hard to accomplish. Keep it short and read it often (I flip through my whole plan minimally 2 times per month, and I read my 90-day plan weekly). Remember: a one-page plan that you’re actually going to follow is better than a 25-page plan you don’t read. And be flexible. I consider my plan the things I aspire to be; how I get there will undoubtedly change many times along the way.
3. Seek accountability.
Once you have a plan for the next 90 days, 1 year, 5 years, whatever, share it with a couple of people and ask them to keep you accountable. It might be in a more formal ‘advisory board’ setting, or just a casual cup of coffee every few weeks. Either way, we all need some form of accountability or things just won’t get done.
4. Be transparent, be encouraging.
We are all in this together and you’re not alone. I’m always pleasantly surprised at how open people are willing to share their own experiences if I’m willing to be transparent about mine. Maybe it’s pride or fear, but we all think our issues are unique to us. In reality, most people are facing very similar issues. By talking things out, it gives us an opportunity to encourage each other and hopefully create action, movement.
At the end of the day, you can have the best plans and a great inventory of where you’re at. But ultimatly it comes down to action. The time for action is now! So what are you going to do about it? Well?
Email me your list of things that you need to get moving on…send over the picture of that whiteboard list, I dare you! I double dogg dare you! mylist@crossgrain.com
StrenghtFinder 2.0 by Tom Wrath – great book about knowing and leveraging your strengths. Be sure to pull out a few bullets from each of your strengths. My strengths are: Activator. Restorative. Communication. Strategic. Significance. What are yours? Email me your stregths.
Who Moved My Cheese by S. Johnson – great book to read about how to deal with change.
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