We’re going to talk about making plans, or more specifically, about moving from an idea to an action plan. Today, I have an example from real life – tomorrow, we’ll apply the same method to writing.
Here we go.
The Idea
I have – as so many of us do – an extra 10 pounds that are irritating me. I’d like to quit carrying them around, but so far, I haven’t had a good plan for doing it.
The thing with ideas is that they’re vague, and so long as they stay vague, they tend not to be accomplished. The general notion of my shedding those ten pounds hasn’t come to much, because I never developed a specific strategy, much less one that I could follow easily.
This week, though, all of that changes.
The Method
This is the big secret of accomplishing the Idea. It’s usually not much of a secret, and usually only an increment more specific than the Idea was in the first place. Still, it’s a step in the right direction.
The best formula for losing weight isn’t a secret. I don’t need to buy a book or hire a counsellor to know the big secret to shedding those pesky ten pounds is:
Eat less; move more.
It’s following that edict on a consistent basis that’s the issue. That means I need to get more specific – I need to develop a Plan.
The Plan
The Plan is an action plan. It gives a specific directive that will make the Idea come to fruition. An idea plan is simple and elegant, and usually can be derived from the Method.
In this particular case, the Method has two elements. If I address both of them simultaneously, I’ll see results more quickly.
Eat less. We are creatures of habit, and tend to eat the same things at the same times every day. I know that I do. So, my plan for this half of the Method is to eat one less thing every day. This is something that I would usually eat – denying myself an ice cream cone when I seldom eat one wouldn’t accomplish anything. Examples would be taking a pass on a second piece of toast in the morning, or that latte in the middle of the afternoon, or a glass of wine with dinner. If I were a dessert-lover, I might sacrifice a dessert.
This isn’t cumulative, either. I don’t need to give up two things the subsequent day. That would become too complicated for me to remember. Just one thing every day – I could have my afternoon latte on alternate afternoons, for example, and give up something different on the days that I “keep” my mid-afternoon perk.
Move more. The other side of the equation is just as easy to address. I will do one more physical activity every day. I’ll walk or ride my bike or swim when I normally wouldn’t. I’ll take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to the corner store instead of driving, park in the far corner of the lot instead of close to the door. Just one thing, every day.
So, that’s my big plan. You can see that I moved from general to specific, and I think that means I have a better chance of success. Those pesky ten pounds are toast! I’ll be rid of them by the end of August – with just two changes every day. I’ve broken down the vague Idea into little bite-sized steps for the Plan.
Tomorrow, we’ll apply this strategy to a writing goal.
Deborah Cooke: Author 