Grab Your Supplies

This is the fun part. You get to decide in what format you want to write your action plan. If you’re a person who prefers pen and paper, you have lots of options. You can get yourself a big journal to write out your vision, your goals and your action plans to complete them. It might help to use a three ring binder type of journal so that you can add calendar pages to it, but any book with blank pages will do. It truly doesn’t have to be fancy.

If you’re someone who likes to categorize and code, use colored pencil or markers to signify different portions of your planning. You can color code your weekly, monthly and yearly goals. Use different colors for each particular goal. Whatever your heart desires. Add stickers for fun and emphasis if you’d like. The artistic among us might want to include doodles or drawings to inspire them along the way. Enjoy the process!

Different strategies work for different individuals. You might enjoy using a mind map to lay out your plan. This involves starting with a circle in the middle of the page that represents your goal and then adding various circles around it, expanding further toward the edge of the page for each portion of the goal that builds upon the first. This visual representation lets you see your process in a way that makes a lot of sense. Another option is to go with an outline form. This linear method is great for concrete thinkers.

If you prefer to keep everything in your laptop, phone or tablet, you also have lots of choices. Google lovers can simply use Google Calendar to keep track of the timeframe of their goals. Apple fans have iCal for the same purpose. There are lots of applications that offer various features to help you to take notes and keep track of dates in creative, fun and logistical ways. Explore a bit with a little online research, and you’re sure to find one that suits your personality. The great thing about many of these programs is that you can sync them to work seamlessly between your favorite electronic devices.

No matter what you choose, make sure it’s something that fits your personality and preferences. Doing so makes the process much easier.