When you hear the word, “PLANNING”, what comes to mind?
Stress? Overwhelm? Time-Consuming?
While some individuals truly enjoy mapping out details and planning for future goals, for many others, the very idea of taking on a project that requires a lot of planning or beginning a long term strategic planning initiative is overwhelming.
If you are leading an organization and your planning involves coordinating a group of people with differences in experience, opinions, and schedules, there is an extra layer of “complicated” that gets added to the planning process.
Many of us have become experts in conveniently avoiding extensive planning altogether. In other words, we’ve become amazing procrastinators.
- “I’ll get to it tomorrow.”
- “I have too much on my plate right now.”
- “It’s on my to-do list.”
- “Sorry, something else came up.”
Ever had these (or similar) words come out of your mouth? These excuses are often made to justify our lack of planning progress to others, or perhaps most often, to ourselves.
If this is feeling a little too relatable…DON’T WORRY! You are in good company!
Strategic planning can be an incredibly stressful process…but it doesn’t have to be.
Let me give you an example…
Wedding Planning. Anyone who has planned a wedding knows there are a million details that need to be considered and arranged in preparing for that special day.
There are two different ways to approach wedding planning:
- Couples are focus on the final product, the wedding day. The work and planning needed to get from point A to point B can be overwhelming and daunting. The thought, “Where do we even start?!” often keeps people from making progress.
With this mindset, it’s nearly impossible not to feel overwhelmed by the planning. - Couples break down the work into bite-size chunks. Instead of focusing on everything that needs to be done to produce the final result (a perfectly orchestrated wedding) they focus instead on what needs to be done to secure their wedding date or confirm their bridal party.
With this mindset, planning becomes manageable and easier to tackle.
The same concept can be applied to any project or organizational planning you undertake.
KEY TAKEAWAY: Instead of attempting to plan every detail to achieve your ultimate end goal, identify smaller benchmark goals, and begin planning for those.
Alright…now that we’ve covered the important stuff, are you ready for a curveball?!
Are you a leader…who also has a pet? (I know…this may seem random, but trust me, you’ll want to keep reading!)
I’ve got three words for you: FREE PET PHOTOGRAPHY.
In the spirit of “stress-relieving activities”, I’ve invited photography expert, Allison Schamrell, to share her knowledge with my audience in the free Photograph Your Pet Masterclass.
In this class, Allison will be sharing her tips on how to capture beautiful photos of your pets. Here’s the best part:
- You DON’T need a fancy camera or background in photography to participate!
- All you DO NEED is a desire to learn and a pet you love!
I personally can’t think of a better way to relax, take a step back from the heaviness of the world, and enjoy some time with my dog!
This incredible opportunity is available (FOR FREE) to the first 25 people who sign up! If you are looking for something fun and relaxing to do, you don’t want to miss this class. Signup TODAY to secure your spot.
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
