As a man thinketh, so is he – but doth he have a plan?

For most of us, the key is in the plan, Stan.

Making my yearly plan is one of the first things that I do as the New Year dawns; though it actually takes me most of January to complete as the possibilities for the year become clearer. I hope that after reading this week’s ABC, you will want to build your own. Here are some important things to remember though to make sure you build a plan geared to help you succeed. - Cover all aspects of your life that you can pin down and “label”, from business to relationships, sports to social activities. - Keep it balanced; over detailing it does not allow for “life” to step in, but making it too simple allows you to completely miss the goal and, when reflecting at the end of the year, twist the result to look like a success. - Keep it realistic. The idea here is to keep you on track in light of challenges that will come up, and to give you a target to shoot for. Setting a goal of making $100,000 this year when you just cleared $40,000 would require a shift that is perhaps unforeseeable and, more importantly, unrealistic. - Remember, the plan is for you, no one else. Put down the goals that are important to you, not what others think you should be doing. - Allow for flexibility. I like to review my plan sometime just before the summer, and allow myself to renew the plan. The important thing to remember here is to stay honest with yourself, and do not dummy down a goal just because you no longer want to put in the effort.

While the categories that you will plan for should be your own, I also wanted to share some of the key areas that I make sure to include.

Most important is family. I go so far as to break down goals for my relationship with my beautiful wife as well as those for my children. Too many people allow their family life to just happen without actually trying to grow it and learn as they go. A word of caution here though, these are often the hardest goals to hit because they are also the ones that challenge us the most.

Next on my list is my career. How much do I plan to make this year? Though I am no longer on a commission structure, when I was, I would write down a very specific number and keep it written in the back of my notebook. In the 4 years I have been doing this, I have only missed by more than 10% (my tolerance threshold) once, and two of those years I finished higher than my goal. Today, I target the number of new relationships I am aiming for, the size of my network. I target growth in my clientele, based on how many move up to the next customer level.

Friendships, as with family, are not something to be taken lightly. Putting down some broad goals of what you would like to accomplish in the relationships that matter most to you outside your family is a key factor in what many feel is the complete picture of success.

Personal Growth, the buzz word of the past 10 years, also is a big part of my plan. I start by selecting the 10 books that I will read this year. There are truckloads of options for you to pick up, and no, they do not have to be of the granola flavour. Nothing wrong with a good Wayne Dyer book, but if you look at my second book of the year, Richard Branson’s autobiography “Losing My Virginity”, you will find inspiration laced with adventure and sprinkled with humanity. I am not sure why, but a lot of guys are scared to talk about “inspiration” today. Not me. Richard Branson owns an island, and runs one of the most powerful, and coolest, companies in the world. I want as much inspiration from a guy like him that I can get. And then some.

Educate myself. What courses do I want to take this year? This is different from Personal Growth in the sense that I view PG as something I do from within, on my time, on my own terms. Education will happen during conferences, or by taking a class online or by going back to university.

And here is a big one, perhaps the toughest one for me personally to keep: Physical Exercise. Get to the gym more, run, hit the outdoor rinks. I still refuse to take the metro when I can walk, and try and get the girls out to public skating at least once a week. But it is sporadic, and often is a little shy of the 30 – 60 minutes a day that is suggested. I used to be good at this one, but the body just does not seem to have the same get up and go.

There are a lot more things one can work on, a lot more that one can strive for. Just remember, plans are meant to keep one on target and create an environment for success. That $100,000 salary is a great 5-year goal, but trying to get there in one shot may only discourage you, and then I wish you luck getting motivated to write your 2010 plan.

Make a plan that works for you. Own it. Make it challenging. Put it on paper so that every time you read it, inspiration flows through you. Read it often. And then, once the year is over, look back on the year and reflect on what you have accomplished. Did you achieve all you had hoped? If you have, how are you going to reward yourself? You worked hard, you deserve it! But if you have not, ask yourself why and learn from it, preparing for the next year. That in and of itself is a wonderful achievement, and will help you take that one next step to whatever thought you happen to have about who you want to be.

Hmmm…I wonder what this week’s “Cold Call” should be?

Have a great sales week!