FAMILY & HOME
Make a Plan and
Patiently Stick to It!
BE SUCCESSFUL IMMEDIATELY
By Donald Broughton
T
he most basic requirement for getting a business funded
is having a business plan. Why shouldn’t it be the same
for your life?
Make a plan . Dream. Design an outcome in all parts of
your life - health, wealth, love, family, career, education, friendships and
happiness. List it all out and then prioritize it by category. Don’t forget
that the success you have in each of these areas helps drive success in
the other areas, i.e., they aren’t mutually exclusive.
Get out your calendar. Every successful person I know has an
extensive planning calendar and an even more extensively detailed
to-do list. Start by putting in all those things you know you have to
attend. Ask your bosses (both the ones at work and the ones at home)
about upcoming events they have planned for you. Put in your family
members’ and friends’ birthdays. I have talked before about the value
of building long-term relationships, and one of the easiest ways to stay
in touch is to always remember to reach out to them on their birthdays.
You don’t want anything from them. You just want to wish them a
happy birthday and catch up on how they are doing. And don’t forget
to plan a time for vacation. We all need them.
Make your plan public. Share it with your family, friends, boss and
co-workers. Make adjustments to your plans that fit into their lives,
and get them to commit to helping you stick to your plan. Family and
friends will adjust and support you, and deal with seeing you less if they
know taking a class to finish a degree or professional certification, or
getting a promotion is one of your goals. Your boss and co-workers will
be more understanding and supportive of your lunchtime workouts if
they know losing weight or lowering your blood pressure is one of your
goals, which leads me to my next point. Good friends, family and co-
workers can help you stick to your plan, and the No. 1 reason plans fail
is that we fail to stick to them.
Patiently stick to your plan. We have all heard this so many
times that is seems trite, but it is equally true. All accomplishments
require initial toil. Accomplishments of lasting value require patient
and persistent toil. This is the hard part. Spend a few minutes each
day looking at your plan and honestly assessing if you are following
through. You can also task family members or trusted co-workers with
reminding you about keeping a balanced mix of time. If you have not
been balanced in the past, this will become a moderate to severe lifestyle
change, which requires diligence and consistency. It’s up to you to stay
with your plan and only deviate in the most important circumstances.
Challenge the people in your life whom you trust with doing the same,
holding you accountable. In the end, it’s up to you, but we all benefit
from the support of those we love, trust and respect.
Be successful immediately. When are you successful? When you
have accomplished everything? When you have finished the project?
Bought the new house? Learned the new skill? Gotten married or put
your children through college? NO! True joy follows doing what we’re
supposed to be doing, and waiting for the reward to come in on its
own time. True success comes from having worthy goals, developing
a plan to attain those goals, and beginning to advance toward those
goals. Even if it takes years or decades for others to acknowledge it, you
are successful on the very first day you start progressing toward those
goals. Understanding this will also help you stay committed to your
plan, even when others can’t see the progress you are making. So do it.
Make a plan. Stick to it, and you will be successful immediately!
As founder and managing partner of Broughton
Capital, Donald Broughton is a frequent guest on
CNBC, “Nightly Business Report” and Fox. He is
regularly quoted in The Wall Street Journal, where
he is also recognized as a top stock picker, as he is by
Fortune, Zacks and StarMine.
SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY
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