Think Big....Move Fast...opportunity part 112

No one knows you more, no one will judge you more, and no one will be more pleased or disappointed in you than you – choose to honor yourself and be proud

Actions do speak louder than words, walk your talk

People will help, support, and do business with those they trust

…It may take months or many steps to build confidence financial independence but only one misstep to destroy a relationship

It’s when we allow ourselves to dream that dramatic life transformation can occur.

Think really BIG here. No limits, no judging.

What’s your heart’s desire?

Been thinking you should get out of debt?

Why not dream about the pursuit of financial independence to quit your job and travel the world instead?

Striving to lose weight for your cousin’s wedding?

Think bigger. Such as creating lasting change by transforming your eating and exercise habits to improve your health, prevent lifestyle disease and participate in a triathlon.

Hoping to change careers for better pay?

Or do you really dream of starting your own business to support your entire family allowing your spouse to quit their job and pursue their dreams too?

Resource Needs

What will you need to achieve your dream?

Tools – Do you need equipment, software, email programs, accounting systems, or other supplies to accomplish your goal?

Knowledge – Do you have the information you need or will you require a class or additional research? Will a book, online course, or other training be necessary?

Skills – What skills will you need to learn or perhaps hire for? Writing, time management, meal planning, accounting, rock climbing?

Support – Will you need assistance, an empathetic ear, an accountability partner, or coaching help?

When it comes to accomplishing personal goals, everyone has his or her own style. Some people like to tell the world what they’re determined to achieve; others quietly commit their plans to the pages of journals they’ll never show a soul.

Some people are “perfect preparers” who spend months carefully laying the groundwork for future progress; others dive right in with a “damn the torpedoes” attitude they figure will take them through whatever obstacles they might encounter.

All these approaches can work brilliantly — or backfire terribly — depending on the personality and commitment of the individual doing the committing and the nature of the goal .

Me? I’ve been known to do a little of all of the above. But I’ve always experienced the most success in following the motto “Think big, start small, move fast.”

Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensure discussion or debate. 

Thank you …“Think big” invites me to develop an ambitious and expansive enough vision to get excited about what I’m choosing to accomplish. Dull goals, after all, tend to make for dull and uninspired efforts.

If I have the vague idea that I want to improve my fitness, for example, I set my sights on a concrete outcome — say, improving a race time by a hefty percentage. My rule of thumb is this:

If I can’t see myself being totally thrilled about the success of the end accomplishment, and if the goal itself doesn’t get my blood pumping a little faster every time I think about it, I don’t set it as a goal.

 “Start small” saves me from getting overwhelmed by what I’ve taken on and lets me get started now, with daily actions that feel doable. Daily action equates with integrity and commitment, in my view.

You have to keep asking yourself: Do I really want this thing or not? Each day brings the opportunity to reconfirm your priorities and to move forward by doing something.

Even if the action is just a single phone call, a few sets in the weight room, or a swift left turn out of the snack aisle, it’s still a step in the right direction and it builds momentum for more positive action.

“Move fast” gets me focused on making continual progress and keeps my energy and enthusiasm high. It prevents me from getting so bogged down in the daily to-dos that I lose sight of the big goal that got me excited in the first place.

“Move fast” also keeps me honest about the kinds of mini-goals I’ll need to accomplish in order to make meaningful headway. Most major goals are marathons, not sprints, so it’s important to pace yourself.

Want to add word or two?

 But part of pacing yourself is setting challenging (not impossible) interim goals — benchmarks that give you constant feedback about the progress you’re making and that help you recognize where adjustments to your plan might be necessary. Because rapidly correcting errors is an essential part of this whole approach.

Which brings me to an important twist in this whole “Think big, start small, move fast” way of thinking: Sometimes it doesn’t work — at least not the way you’ve planned.

If you’ve been working tirelessly on a good plan for a long time, if you’ve been persevering and doing everything right and still not making any headway, it may be time to slow down, step back, and reflect .

 It may be time to stop pushing for a little while and to consider the possibility that you might just be pushing the wrong way, or at the wrong time.

Sometimes, despite our best thinking and most earnest efforts, things just don’t come together. We can’t always know why.

Maybe it’s karma or the divine plan of life, maybe it’s some internal wisdom telling us our energy is better spent elsewhere. Whatever it is, when we encounter immutable forces that put the kibosh on our big plans, I think it can be a sign that it’s time to regroup

Your comment ….? 

Act on Decisions

What are the concrete steps needed to move forward? How will you ensure you make timely wise decision decision and take action?

Ask essential questions to dissect your big dream into smaller achievable action steps

Develop a step-by-step activity list to acquire needed resources

Set timeframes for making decisions and completing actions, then create daily/weekly/monthly schedules or to-do checklists to keep you on track and making progress

Focus on high-value activities that utilize your strengths and talents, and enlist others to perform routine duties you dislike or don’t have time for

See what’s working, what’s not working, and look for opportunities for improvement.

You know what you do well, remind yourself of these strengths and create a list of accomplishments recall how far you’ve come

Identify any limiting habits or beliefs and turn men into learning opportunities instead

Pessimism, fear, procrastination over-analyzing, sweating insignificant details, striving for perfection, etc.

Challenge any weaknesses and obtain the knowledge or skills you need to overcome them

Enlist the help of others to stay on task if required

No one knows you more, no one will judge you more, and no one will be more pleased or disappointed in you than you – choose to honor yourself and be proud

Actions do speak louder than words, walk your talk

People will help, support, and do business with those they trust …It may take months or many steps to build confidence financial independence but only one misstep to destroy a relationship

It’s when we allow ourselves to dream that dramatic life transformation can occur.

Think really BIG here. No limits, no judging. What’s your heart’s desire?

Been thinking you should get out of debt? Why not dream about the pursuit of financial independence to quit your job and travel the world instead?

Striving to lose weight for your cousin’s wedding? Think bigger. Such as creating lasting change by transforming your eating and exercise habits to improve your health, prevent lifestyle disease and participate in a triathlon.

Hoping to change careers for better pay? Or do you really dream of starting your own business to support your entire family allowing your spouse to quit their job and pursue their dreams too?

Resource Needs

What will you need to achieve your dream?

Tools – Do you need equipment, software, email programs, accounting systems, or other supplies to accomplish your goal?

Knowledge – Do you have the information you need or will you require a class or additional research? Will a book, online course, or other training be necessary?

Skills – What skills will you need to learn or perhaps hire for? Writing, time management, meal planning, accounting, rock climbing?

Support – Will you need assistance, an empathetic ear, an accountability partner, or coaching help?

When it comes to accomplishing personal goals, everyone has his or her own style. Some people like to tell the world what they’re determined to achieve; others quietly commit their plans to the pages of journals they’ll never show a soul.

Some people are “perfect preparers” who spend months carefully laying the groundwork for future progress; others dive right in with a “damn the torpedoes” attitude they figure will take them through whatever obstacles they might encounter.

All these approaches can work brilliantly — or backfire terribly — depending on the personality and commitment of the individual doing the committing and the nature of the goal.

If I have the vague idea that I want to improve my fitness, for example, I set my sights on a concrete outcome — say, improving a race time by a hefty percentage. My rule of thumb is this:

If I can’t see myself being totally thrilled about the success of the end accomplishment, and if the goal itself doesn’t get my blood pumping a little faster every time I think about it, I don’t set it as a goal.

 “Start small” saves me from getting overwhelmed by what I’ve taken on and lets me get started now, with daily actions that feel doable. Daily action equates with integrity and commitment, in my view.

You have to keep asking yourself: Do I really want this thing or not?

Each day brings the opportunity to reconfirm your priorities and to move forward by doing something.

Even if the action is just a single phone call, a few sets in the weight room, or a swift left turn out of the snack aisle, it’s still a step in the right direction and it builds momentum for more positive action.

Want to add word or two?

 But part of pacing yourself is setting challenging (not impossible) interim goals — benchmarks that give you constant feedback about the progress you’re making and that help you recognize where adjustments to your plan might be necessary. Because rapidly correcting errors is an essential part of this whole approach.

Which brings me to an important twist in this whole “Think big, start small, move fast” way of thinking: Sometimes it doesn’t work — at least not the way you’ve planned.

If you’ve been working tirelessly on a good plan for a long time, if you’ve been persevering and doing everything right and still not making any headway, it may be time to slow down, step back, and reflect .

 It may be time to stop pushing for a little while and to consider the possibility that you might just be pushing the wrong way, or at the wrong time.

Sometimes, despite our best thinking and most earnest efforts, things just don’t come together. We can’t always know why.

Maybe it’s karma or the divine plan of life, maybe it’s some internal wisdom telling us our energy is better spent elsewhere. Whatever it is, when we encounter immutable forces that put the kibosh on our big plans, I think it can be a sign that it’s time to regroup

Your comment ….? 

Act on Decisions

What are the concrete steps needed to move forward?

How will you ensure you make timely wise decisions and take action?

Ask essential questions to dissect your big dream into smaller achievable action steps

Develop a step-by-step activity list to acquire needed resources

Set timeframes for making decisions and completing actions, then create daily/weekly/monthly schedules or to-do checklists to keep you on track and making progress

Focus on high-value activities that utilize your strengths and talents, and enlist others to perform routine duties you dislike or don’t have time for

See what’s working, what’s not working, and look for opportunities for improvement.

You know what you do well, remind yourself of these strengths and create a list of accomplishments recall how far you’ve come

Identify any limiting habits or beliefs and turn men into learning opportunities instead

Pessimism, fear, procrastination over-analyzing, sweating insignificant details, striving for perfection, etc.

Challenge any weaknesses and obtain the knowledge or skills you need to overcome them

Enlist the help of others to stay on task if required