Is there an area of your life or work that you’ve just not been able get the results you desire – the results that you know are possible?
This article is part of the series – Personal Life Planning that Works
Your Life Matters
Grow on Purpose
3 Reasons Everyone Should Have a Personal Life Plan
The #1 Way to Get Better Results with Your Personal Life Plan
3 Personal Life Plan Tips Most People Miss
What about your team? Do you have a team member that, no matter what they’ve tried, just can’t seem to improve productivity or efficiency?
Well, I’ve got good news! The answer is quite simple – it’s so simple, you’re not going to believe it. So I’ll illustrate it first…
I threw it away!
Eight years ago, I wrote a personal life plan. In my plan I included: several guiding principles, advice that I’d received from mentors, career plans, family plans, and financial plans.
Though I reviewed and updated my plan regularly, I struggled to gain traction and see significant progress in a number of areas. For 7 years this went on – making progress, then falling back into a rut.
So, in April 2011, I gave up! I threw away my life plan!
OK, I didn’t really throw it away – but I did start all over! I rewrote my entire life plan! I utilized many concepts I learned from Michael Hyatt.
And this one decision has made all the difference in the world! Since I rewrote my life plan, I have seen dramatic results at home, in my career, in my leadership, in my relationships, in my health! What changed?
The big difference
The primary difference between my old life plan and my new life plan was – I got very specific with the commitments (or disciplines) in each area of my life. I got so specific, I can now plug them right into my calendar.
For example, in my old life plan I wrote about my relationship with my wife, Sarah:
I will regularly communicate my unconditional love to her by always thinking of her first, valuing our differences, caring about her feelings, respecting her opinions, sharing my most intimate thoughts, and by expressing appreciation and care.
Sounds pretty good, huh? I’m a romantic!
Now, here are the specific commitments for Sarah in my new plan:
- Spend time with Sarah at the end of every day communicating with her with no interruptions. (9:00-10:00pm)
- Go on a lunch date with her every Friday at noon. Leave our phones in the car.
- Take her on two weekend getaways each year – one before May 30 and the other before November 30. Unplug from technology.
What’s the difference? I got WAY more specific.
Guess which one has had better results! Yep – the new one! Here’s why…
Get more specific
An executive coach once told me – Specificity produces a higher level of accountability. And accountability yields more consistent results.
So if you’re working yourself to death and still not getting the results that you anticipated, then you’re probably not being specific enough. To get better results, get more specific. Get more specific with what you want to accomplish and get more specific with when you want to accomplish it, then get more specific with how you’re going to do it. Get more specific about the help you need. And get more specific with who you need help from. Break the project into smaller very specific tasks. Block out specific time on your calendar. Whatever the project is – GET MORE SPECIFIC!
When you do, you’ll experience greater productivity and efficiency!
I now use this principle on a daily basis – it’s become a habit! When I’m not getting the results I desire, I ask, How can I get more specific? And when a team member is struggling to get momentum, we look at how we can get more specific. Then when we get more specific, we always get better results!
I’m so committed to helping you succeed in your life and work that we developed the SIMPLE Personal Life Plan Guide and Template just for you! I want you to enjoy the freedom and clarity that comes from identifying your top priorities and I want you to avoid the struggles that I faced personally.
Click here to download the Simple Personal Life Plan Guide and Template.
Once you download it and try it out, shoot me an email. You can even send me your draft to review for you. I’m looking forward to hearing about the dramatic improvements to your life and work.
Its true to be more specific what you want achieve. Thank you for awakening me to your productive perspective.
Thanks for your kind words Mwansa, and thanks for connecting! Enjoy your day!
Thank you. I’m going in the right direction, and you’ve helped me tweak what was holding me back.
That’s great to hear, Angela. My best to you.
Getting more specific feels like it’s been one of the longest processes of my life. I might have to read this each day for a couple weeks to keep me continuing to be more specific.
I understand. It’s a process – I think we all must work on it every day.
I agree! And thank you for the encouragement. That means a lot!
I agree! And thank you for the encouragement. That means a lot!