By Marvin Cato
Do you have a plan for your life? This is the time of year that we think about New Year resolutions and all the changes we want to make in our lives. How many times have you made a resolution and didn’t follow through? Well there is a reason that most New Year resolutions fail. You guessed it. Most of us make a resolution in our head and it stays there. Some of us are so strong willed that we do everything that we resolve to do. But the rest of us need to get the resolution out of our head and into a plan. When something is part of a plan it becomes real, the plan itself is a reminder of your commitment, and makes you accountable to yourself.
Of course there is no special magic in the plan, the plan is a tool to help you be successful. The power of the plan is in the fact that you took the time to develop it. You set a goal for yourself, you decided when you want to achieve your goal, you also determined what it would take to get from where you are now to achieving the goal, then you decide what the step by step action will be to reach your goal, then you determine what resources you will need to be successful (and make sure you have access to them), next you set a start date and finally you begin your journey to achieving your goal(s). The beauty of the plan is that you will know where you are every step of the way, how much you have accomplished and how close you are to completion. Success is the best motivator and when you can track your accomplishments it should inspire you even more because your goal is in your sight.
Sir Winston Churchill once said “It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.”
How far can you see into your future? Can you see past tomorrow? Well the further out you plan the farther out you can see. While making New Year’s resolution are great, let’s look past the New Year and focus on your life plan. Do you know why some people have great lives and others don’t?
Those that have great lives put a plan in place and followed it, it is their road map to where they want to be. I know you’ve heard the expression he/she who fails to plan, plans to fail. The reason that this is true is because if you don’t have direction in your life you can be led anywhere. Plans don’t have to be elaborate, but the fact that you have one puts you in charge of your situation to the degree that your vision will take you.
We are all in different situations and are surrounded by different circumstances, and it doesn’t matter where you are in your life’s journey, we should all have a vision of a better life for ourselves. If you know what you want and where you want to be, write down your vision and make a plan. Above all act on your plan because nothing will happen until you first do something.
However don’t make a plan just to have one, make sure it is something that you are passionate about and really want to do. So let’s make our plans and chart our futures!!! I wish you all a happy holiday season, and especially a healthy, focused, and prosperous New Year. Remember this quote when you need some momentum: “Planning without action is futile, action without planning is fatal” – Author Unknown.
Marvin Cato is a community activist. He is also a board member of The New Citizens Press Community Action Network Inc. (TNCP CAN).
This was printed in the January 13, 2013 – January 26, 2013 Edition
