This report includes nine powerful tips and three actionable steps you can take right away. It also includes a list of suggested reading for those who are looking for even more information.
This article is from a Series
of 52 tips Report on the subject of self improvement. If you want to
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TOP TIPS
When
you think of strategic planning, you probably picture a room full of executives
in a large corporate meeting room. While that may be valid, we can invite that
same kind of strategy into our own lives. Those corporate suits are simply
devising a plan to accomplish their goals. Doesn't that sound like something
that could help you right now? If you feel disappointed with your life results,
consider these nine ways to live life more strategically.
1. Do You Have a Plan?
What
do you want out of life? Do you have a life plan? If you don't have a plan or
mission in life, it will be hard to live strategically. It might not feel
spontaneous to plan out your entire life, but having an overall plan will
ensure you are working towards the life you want. Plus, life is so
unpredictable, there will be plenty of excitement!
2. Set Specific Goals
Having
an overall life plan or mission was a great start, but you also need to get
specific. Set some specific goals you want to achieve. Focus your goals on both
the long and short term. Remember, specificity is important. "I want to
retire early" isn't a goal. It's a dream. A goal is: "I want to
retire when I am 55, with X amount of dollars saved."
3. Ask Yourself Tough
Questions
Strategic
living means you need to get real with yourself. You need to ask yourself the
tough questions like "Do I have the skills to achieve my goals/"
"Am I wasting my time?" "Am I on the right track?" Be
honest with yourself, and then figure out strategic ways to address your
weaknesses or failings.
4. Observe Trends
'Trendy"
is often used as a bad word, but why? Observing trends (both your own and the
world around you) is a powerful tool for those who want to live more
strategically. A quick example - many of us are saving for the future. How much
better off would we have been had we observed and reacted to the cryptocurrency
trend?
5. Track Any and Everything
Strategic
people track as much info as they can. After all, the more data and information
you have, the more informed your decisions will be. A quick way to get started
is to track your wins or successes. You might spot a pattern that makes future
success even easier. Other things to track include your time, emotions, etc...
6. Reflect and Adjust
While
there is something admirable about those who put their blinders on and run
head-on towards their goals, this isn't always the most strategic choice. You
need to make (i.e., schedule it!) time for reflection. What is working? What
isn't working? Adjust your goals to reflect this information.
7. Are You Taking Care of Yourself?
Strategic
living isn't just about your career or finances. You want to make smart
decisions about every area of your life. A big part of strategic living is
making sure you take care of your own needs. How can you reach your life's
goals if you aren't healthy or managing your stress?
8. Communicate Your Life Plan
With Loved Ones
You
don't have to go around shouting your life's plans to everyone, but it is
helpful to let the people closest to you know. This way, people will know what
you are working towards, and they can make sure they aren't working against
that. It also builds accountability and creates a support system you can lean
on when needed.
9. Never Stop Learning
A big
part of being strategic is recognizing your weaknesses or lack of knowledge and
then addressing them. A wonderful way to do this is to commit to lifelong
learning. This not only keeps you sharp but also keeps your skills and
knowledge up to date. You will find reaching your goals more attainable when
you never stop learning.
ACTIONABLE STEPS
a) Reflect
on what you want out of life. Think about what your ideal life would look and
feel like.
b) Create
a life mission statement. While it might be hard to encapsulate what you want
in life into a single paragraph, it's a powerful exercise to do so.
c) Your
first step. What is the first step you can take towards this new life? Focus on
something simple and easy you can do at this moment (a good first step is
further planning.)
FURTHER
Affiliate links:
1. The Future Belongs to Those Who Dare
https://amzn.to/39w6YL9
2. Do Life Differently: A Strategic Path Toward Extraordinary
https://amzn.to/3zHiOMT
3. The Success Book: Developing Your Own Personal Strategic Life Plan
https://amzn.to/3xsMTNC
4. The Life ROI: How to build a strategic plan
https://amzn.to/39zg2ic
5. Thinking Strategically: The Competitive Edge in Everyday Life
https://amzn.to/3zKufn2