Greetings!
We appreciate Thanksgiving, with its delectable turkey and time spent with family. But did you know that the principles of planning a great T’Day dinner–a goal for a particular day–can be applied to life goals?
Consider this: Thanksgiving is the time of the year when all concerns and distractions are put aside, and attention is focused like a laser on the bird cooked to perfection on the center of the table and all the trimmings. Of course, getting that bird and all the fixings there requires more than just a keen eye on the calendar and a hearty appetite, right?
You have to put in some time and effort into planning it all–from the logistics of getting the ingredients together to getting all the people together. You also have to do the various tasks that go into the shopping, preparation and serving phases. When all is said and done… that’s a lot of time and effort. Now imagine if people put forth the same amount of time and effort that goes into a Thanksgiving meal into planning their Bold lives!
One of the worksheets I introduce in my book is the Building Block Plan, which lays out the steps that go into making an action plan that would help someone accomplish their goals.
Here’s an example, filled out for planning the perfect Thanksgiving dinner:
Next to the specific Bold Goal, the top of the building blocks are a very important part of the plan. All plans have what I refer to as Big Picture Steps that build upon each other for success. In the case of T’Day dinner, the specific Bold Goal is to make a T’Day dinner for a certain amount of people at a specific time, and the key four steps are:
- Plan the Menu
- Shop for Everything
- Prepare the Meal
- Serve the Meal.
There are a number of action steps under each of the four Big Picture Steps, yet you cannot fill in those additional activities without knowing the Big Picture Steps.
In my book, I provided the Building Block Plan Justin and Kaisorn McCurry, a couple who set a goal to retire in their 30s (a goal they successfully reached!). Instead of their Big Picture Steps describing such things as “Plan the Menu” and “Prepare the Meal”, they included:
- Cut Down on Expenses
- Save Up Money
- Invest Wisely
Below those Big Picture Steps were such actions as “Cut Off Cable TV,” “Put Most of Paycheck into Savings” and “Research Stocks.”
As you can see, the goal, the big steps and the building blocks beneath those big steps will vary, but the structure of the Building Block Plan stays the same–and it ensures that, when you follow this plan, your chances of success increase.
So when it comes to life goals, do you know what Big Picture Steps you need to take to accomplish them? Is your turkey dinner plan better than your life plan? If it is, it certainly doesn’t have to be!
Stay Bold, and happy Thanksgiving!
And most important, thank you for all your support!
All the best,
P.S. PROJECT BOLD LIFE: The Proven Formula to Take on Challenges and Achieve Happiness and Success–which is more than a book, it’s an encompassing system to planning your life to get what you want–continued as a Top Seller in two categories this week, “Personal Success” and “Management Skills”. I hope you check it out if you have not purchased a copy. And if you haven’t purchased a copy, you can always download the first chapter for free!
P.S.S. Better than our Black Friday Sale: If you go to my personal store and use the code “notesfromed” you will get the best discount available on the paperback version of the book. You can even get a limited edition custom signed copy!
