Five Ways You Can Plan for Success

Research shows that women are among the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in Canada, and the numbers are still rising.

In the efforts to equip BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) women with the skills to succeed in their professional domain, CA Consultants hosted a virtual “Planning for Success” four-week workshop in January this year. The series of talks were led by featured guest speakers: Registered Psychotherapist, Alethia Cadore, Self-Discovery Coach, Carla Hemans-Harper, and leading Author, Publisher and Strategist, Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse.

So, what does it take for a plan to be successful and what distinguishes a stellar plan from a not-so-good one? In this article we’ll share some key strategies for success planning that you can start putting into action today. 

Set Aside Some Alone Time

It can be challenging to find any alone time in a work-crazed world with multiple things vying for your attention – the full sink of dirty dishes, kids who keep you on your toes, and a constant overflow of work emails.

Yet even a 20-minute break away from your usual routine could make a world of difference. “[Schedule some] solitude moments in your life [where you] can explore strengths and areas you want to improve,” Hemans-Harpers recommends. “Everything else will fall into place.”

Be Specific

When it comes to setting actionable goals for yourself, the more specific you are, the better. Ezurike-Bosse says that the first step to any effective strategy geared to get your goals off the ground is to identify what they are. “Goal-setting is: What is my goal? I’ve identified it. I’ve written it down. But [goal-achieving is where you really] need to start to break it down. What resources do you need? What capabilities do you need? What do you need to learn? What support do you need?”

A good, goal-oriented plan will also take into account your own personal values. “Sometimes what you want doesn’t really match your value system,” Hermans-Harper explains. “You just want it at the moment and then that’s not going to be long-lasting.” 

“When [BIPOC] women change how we see ourselves at a subconscious level and raise ourselves up to the identity of the vision we want for ourselves, we start to see shifts fast...We cannot outperform our identity because our identity rules our destiny.” – Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse

Keep Track of your Time

Before you can begin knocking goals off your list, you have to determine what is and isn’t working for you. Monitoring how you spend your time is one way you can detect the time zappers in your day. “Keep track of [your time] for about a week to get a true picture, and then take it from there,” says Hemans-Harper. “Then, see how you can start scheduling your day differently.”

Identify the Emotional Anchor

Forgetfulness, anxiousness about upcoming appointments, losing track of important paperwork, and any other sort of disorganization in your life can typically be attributed to something outside of what meets the eye. “Anytime you’re experiencing anything of discomfort in your life, it’s [typically] connected to something. It doesn’t come out of nowhere,” says Hemans-Harper. “Sometimes it’s physical or verbal abuse, sometimes it’s the death of a loved one, sometimes it’s a failure of some kind, sometimes it’s job loss, sometimes it’s divorce. There’s always some sort of emotional anchor.”           

Once you’ve pinpointed the source of your distress, the next step in your self-awareness journey is to determine the changes that need to be made in order to reach the goals you’ve set for yourself, says Ezurike-Bosse. “What do you need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis that can [take you to that next] step? Plan it out to the detail.”

Envision Success

In order to reach success, you first have to define what it is. Your definition of success won’t look the same as another woman on a different path. Create a clear picture of what winning looks like in your mind. “I see so many of us who have a dream and a goal, but then we hold ourselves back with the mentality we have around what we can or cannot do,” says Ezurike-Bosse. “You have the dream, but you don’t have that concrete plan to allow you to really take that step and get to that level that you want.” 

Once you have a better sense of the vision that awaits you, refuse to let anything stand in the way of its fulfilment.

Go Big

There is no such thing as planning big and shrinking small.

Ezurike-Bosse says the best plan is one that requires you to elevate your identity to match the vision fuelling it. “When [BIPOC] women change how we see ourselves at a subconscious level and raise ourselves up to the identity of the vision we want for ourselves, we start to see shifts fast,” she says. “Because A: We begin to see opportunities to the alignment of the goals that we want. And then B: We’re not going to be afraid to share our gifts and the products and services we can offer to serve [others]. We don’t play small. We start to show up and [truly] see the impact that we’re making and the people who are resonating with our work. We cannot outperform our identity because our identity rules our destiny.” 

How to Create an Effective Plan with Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse

• Identify what you want to the tee and why you want it.
• Identify what impact achieving your goal would do for you and make sure that the reason goes just beyond yourself. What would it mean for your family? What would it mean for society? If you don’t achieve it, what is the cost of you not achieving it? What would that look like for you? The more intimate your Why is, the more it pushes you forward. If you know the What and the Why, the How will show up for you.
• The true plan is identifying what needs to happen. Part of the plan includes recognizing who you need to become in order for it to be fulfilled in your life.

Carla Hemans-Harper is a self-discovery coach who offers strategic techniques to guide her clients who feel stuck and need help moving forward. She has hosted several workshops on assertiveness, colourism, and character strengths.

Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse is a business & lifestyle strategist, and television producer and host for Empowered Living in Durham Region. She has been featured on RogersTV, HuffPost, HayHouse Radio, and Mompreneur. Ezurike-Bosse helps passionate entrepreneurs (+aspiring entrepreneurs) master their mindsets to increase their wealth, confidence, and achieve their passions.

Her Dream Life Designer Planner is suited to assist professional women work and plan towards their goals.

Alethia Cadore is a registered psychotherapist, mental health advocate, and wellness consultant. She is a highly compassionate and well-oriented professional with over 20+ years of experience supporting children, youth and women.