So apologies for not blogging much (at all) last month but time just seemed to fly by. With the weather improving I have managed to spend more time with the horses and as usual they have been teaching me more lessons than sometimes I wanted to learn.
The first lesson I have been reminded of by my horses is for the need to plan ahead (perhaps if I had done that I might have managed to get in the odd blog). Last month my horses threw me a few curve balls by all getting sick at the same time when I was away teaching in Dorset. Maybe if I had had some contingency plans(a Plan B) things would have been less stressful for us all. When faced with challenges such as I experienced my practical side takes over and I just get on with things, but what I was reminded of is how for others that transition is not so easy. They find it difficult to move to plan B and whilst I moved there quite effortlessly my inability to communicate clearly to them made this transition challenging. Maybe if I had planned ahead more, then things would have been easier for everyone.
I recently came across this acrostic from John C. Maxwell regarding the importance of planning ahead which I just love.
P – predetermine your course of action
L – lay out your goals
A – allow time for adjustments
N – notify key personnel
A – allow time for acceptance
H – head into action
E – expect problems
A – always point to the positive
D – daily review
I think this sums up so brilliantly the best way to approach anything in life. Particularly it reminds me that we should expect problems. That’s normal but all too often we get discouraged and give up. Focus on the positive at all times because when we are immersed in a project we all too often forget to acknowledge all the success that we have had along the way. A daily review is a great way to keep on track but at the end of the day all great plans will stay that way unless you take action. I’m reminded of John Assaraf once telling me “are you taking action Julia or are you living on hopeium”. We are hope for anything we want but unless we take action to translate those plans into something nothing will change.
So my question for you today is are you living a Hopeium Life or are you taking action to PLAN AHEAD. As always comments are welcome.
Julia Felton (aka The Business Wrangler) is the founder of Business HorsePower. Business leaders, entrepreneurs and executives hire her to accelerate their business performance by harnessing the energy of their people to work more collaboratively together. By aligning purpose with actions the team achieves exponential results as everyone starts pulling in the same direction.
Julia believes that business is a force for good and through designing purpose-driven businesses that leverage the laws of nature, and the herd, you can create businesses founded on the principles of connection, collaboration and community that make a significant impact in the world.
