Category Archives: Planning

The Key To Stress-Free Goal Setting For 2023

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Coping with Stress, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Planning, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Teacher, Uncategorized

Well, that’s a wrap. You can say goodbye to 2022. It’s another year in the books. How did you make out? Did you accomplish everything you set out to do? What’s left on the to-do list that you didn’t accomplish and want to carry over to 2023? The key to stress-free goal setting is to plan them the way you plan your vacation. Like a great vacation, a great plan always starts with the end in mind. You need to decide what goal you want to accomplish – write down all the things that need to fall into place to reach your goal and then put together your itinerary so you end up where you want to go.

Worth Remembering … “Our goals can only be reached through the vehicle of a plan. There is no other route to success.” – Pablo Picasso.

1. Specific: You’ve got to name it to claim it. You need to decide where you want to go. If it is Florida – where in Florida? What city, town, hotel or resort? Are you flying there, taking a bus or driving your vehicle? If you are driving, do you have a map? If you fail to plan your route of travel – then don’t be surprised where you end up. Be specific; don’t generalize.

2. Measurable: You need to decide how long it will take you to get there. Are you going to stop along the way – or drive straight through? If you are going to stop along the way – how many miles a day are you going to drive, and where will you stay for the night? You need to measure your progress to know you have the right plan to get you to your final destination at the allotted time.

3. Attainable: Have you put together a budget? Your goal isn’t attainable if you don’t have all the resources you’ll need to vacation in Florida. You might have to put that goal on your wish list and revisit it later. If you decide your goal isn’t feasible, don’t waste time planning it.

4. Realistic: You need to decide how long you will stay in Florida so you know when you need to leave to get back home. You have to be honest with yourself. Can you do everything you want to do in the time you have? Your goal needs a realistic timeline, so you aren’t setting yourself up to fail.

5. Time-Based: You need to decide when is the best time to take a vacation? Do you have a specific date in mind? Time-based goals give you a sense of urgency. They can motivate you to take action. They can keep you on track and help you manage your time. Don’t spend your free time working on something that won’t help you accomplish your goal. Every minute you spend putting your plan together will save you time implementing it.

Worth Remembering … “Personal excellence can be achieved by a visionary goal, through planning, dedicated execution, and total follow-through.” – Gerald Ford

Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect plan. Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain caused by adverse circumstances. Adverse circumstances are issues that are beyond your control. Be prepared to roll with the punches if you hit a roadblock or something unexpected happens. You may have to adjust your plan on the fly. The key to stress-free goal setting is to plan them like you are planning your vacation, but have a plan B just in case plan A doesn’t work out as you hoped.

Copyright (c) 2022. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit – https://briansmithpld.com. All four of Brian’s books are available on Amazon in print and e-reader formats. https;//amazon.com/author/brsmith

A Chairpersons Guide To Keep Meetings On Track

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Leadership Development, Management, Personal Development, Planning, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Teacher, Uncategorized

Meetings are the greatest waste of time ever invented by man. How often have you sat in on a meeting, wondering why you were even there? Have you ever walked out after the meeting was over – having not accomplished anything? We aren’t born knowing how to run a successful virtual or in-person meeting, and unless you have been a member of a social club like Rotary, Kinsmen or the Lions Club, you most likely never learned how. Meetings can be productive if you don’t allow anyone to sabotage them. It takes a strong chairperson to keep meetings on track.

Worth Remembering … “All the real work is done by those low on the food chain. Everyone else just has meetings.” – Mick Herron.

Here are some suggestions on how to keep your meetings on track:

  1. Decide what type of meeting you’re going to have. Is it for sharing information or a group discussion to devise a solution to a problem? Does your meeting require a vote to reach a consensus?
  2. Successful meetings take planning. Have an agenda, who is talking on what subject and for how long. Keep your meetings 90 minutes or less. Anything longer than that, everyone will be asleep, and you’ll accomplish nothing.
  3. Distribute the agenda a week before the meeting to those attending so that everyone knows what is being discussed.
  4. Be sure to begin and end on time.
  5. Get everyone involved by having open discussions and healthy debates, and don’t allow anyone to take over the conversation. Make sure everyone gets an opportunity to express their opinion.
  6. If it’s not on the agenda – don’t allow anyone to introduce a new item.
  7. Does it require a minute taker to record all the items discussed during the meeting and the outcome of each item? If not, you should take notes for follow-up.
  8. Sum up the meeting. What was accomplished – what agenda times are still outstanding?
  9. Who should get a copy of the minutes if minutes were taken?

In the words of Dave Berry, an American author and humorist – “If you had to identify in one word the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that one word would be – meetings!”. Feel free to add to this list – but above all – keep your meetings on track.

Copyright (c) 2022. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Brian works with people who want to develop soft skills to communicate and interact more effectively and discover how to get the best out of themselves and others. To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit https://briansmithpld.com or email him at – brian@briansmithpld.com

The Secret to a Successful 2022 is Between Your Ears

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Mentorship, New Year's Resolutions, Personal Development, Planning, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized

Think it, act it, and eventually, through patience and hard work, it will become you. The secret to a successful 2022 is between your ears. Just thinking about it isn’t good enough. You have to apply yourself. That’s the difference between successful and not-so-successful people. Successful people continually work at it. Successful people get up off the couch and get after it. Successful people have a game plan and hit the ground running.

Worth Remembering …”Success is never accidental.”

What would you rather be doing with your life than what you are doing right now? If you wanted to take your passion and turn it into a profitable business, what kind of business would that be? What does your ideal career look like? If you aspire to be promoted and take on a leadership role in your organization, would role would that be? Life – your life – is a planned event. Wishing and hope won’t make it so.

Worth Remembering … “A goal without a plan is just wishful thinking.”

Good habits = good results. We are adults and we can develop new habits. What new habits will you need to develop to start your own small business? Will you need to be a better planner and manage your time more efficiently? What new habits will you need to develop to get promoted and take on that leadership role in your organization? Will you need to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively, build collaborative teams, resolve conflict or motivate others to perform at their personal best?

Worth Remembering … “You are the boss of you.”

Once you’ve made up your mind and decided on what you want to do and how to go about getting it, through patience and hard work, everything will eventually fall into place. Your success is never a given. The secret is to focus all of your energy on building the new you. It’s time you got after it. The secret to a successful 2022 is between your ears.

On a Personal Note: Thank you for being part of my 2021. I’m here to help. I want 2022 to be your best year yet. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions looking for answers about the challenges you’re facing starting your small business, managing and leading others, or getting that promotion. You can contact me directly at: brian@briansmithpld.com

Copyright (c) 2022. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you or your organization, visit: https://briansmithpld.com.

Wishing and Hoping Won’t Make It So But Setting SMART Targets Will

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Mentorship, Personal Development, Planning, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Teacher, Uncategorized

Wishing and hoping won’t make it so but setting smart targets will. As Covey would say – “Miracles are great, but they are so hard to come by. You never know when one will come along.” To accomplish what you want to achieve, no matter how big or small, it’s a planned event. You can’t wish and hope to lose weight, get that promotion or start your small business, but you can put a plan together to achieve your goal and end up where you want to be.

Worth Remembering … “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” – Yogi Berra

Don’t generalize. Set a SMART target.

S – Specific: You must name it to claim it. What steps will you have to take to achieve your goal? What objectives need to be accomplished to reach your target?

M – Measurable: If you don’t measure it, how do you know you are headed in the right direction? Your plan should include trackable benchmarks. What gets measured gets done.

A – Attainable: You must believe it’s doable, or you won’t be motivated enough to put in the effort to accomplish your goal. Have you been honest with yourself? Do you believe the goal you’ve set for yourself is achievable?

R – Relevant: Why is this goal important to you? What are the tangible benefits you’ll receive if you reach your goal? Knowing what it will do for you will help you keep your eye on the prize.

T – Time Based: How much time have you given yourself to accomplish your goal? Having a deadline helps to keep you moving forward. Having a deadline creates a sense of urgency and gets you up and off the couch.

Worth Remembering … “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” – Scottish Proverb

That proverb suggests that if wishing could make things happen, then we’d all have everything we wanted. Wishing and hoping won’t make it so but setting a SMART target will. A goal is a dream with a deadline. If you genuinely believe that you have all the tools you’ll need to accomplish your goals – then the only thing getting in your way is you. Put your plan together and work your plan.

Copyright (c) 2021. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you or your organization visit: https://briansmithpld.com