Winning Attitude 2: Develop strategy

 It is one thing to know where you are going and it is another to know how to get there. At the start of the year, many people have an idea of what they desire to accomplish but very few ever go the extra mile of developing strategies to support their goals and ambitions. The vision will state what will be accomplished while strategy dictates how it will be accomplished.

Now that you have an idea of what you want to accomplish this year and what the end result will look like, it is time for you to move onto developing strategies for how to accomplish these huge milestones. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. The key to accomplishing great things in life lies in the ability to start. Once you start working on something, it is always easy to build momentum.

It is one thing to get started and another to keep going even when the going gets tough. Passion / vision will get you started but only habits will keep you going. Strategy is what helps you identify the necessary habits that will keep you on track. Trying to develop a habit in the heat of a moment is like learning to swim amidst water falls.

By thinking through the how, you will be able to develop the necessary patterns, habits and skills that will sustain your momentum as you work towards your set goals. Anticipate what will be needed, when, how and by whom then make arrangements ahead of time. Think through the strategies that will enable you stay on track and start working on them.

Successful people think about their goals most of the time. As a result, they are continually moving toward their goals, and their goals are continually moving toward them. Whatever you think about most of the time grows and increases in your life. If you are thinking about, talking about, and visualizing your goals, you tend to accomplish far, far more than the average person, who is usually thinking and talking about his or her worries and problems most of the time.

Your strategy should be as detailed as possible for it to be successful. For example, you can break down your annual goal into smaller quarterly, monthly, weekly or even daily targets. The smaller it is, the easier it is to accomplish and track. Think about who can help and how they could help. Devise means to get the support you need by creating win – win situations.

At the end of the day, strategy commands the flow of your life. Without strategy, you will keep going round in circles.