How to Create an Action Plan

Home » Goal Setting » How to Create an Action Plan

In this section you will learn how to create an action plan.

After setting your goals, it’s important to create plans.

According to time management expert Alan Lakein, “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”

Plans allow you to concentrate on how you utilize your energy to complete your tasks. Your plans guide you to take action and reach your goals!

Achieve All Your Goals in 3 Steps

You need to set your strategy to reach point B, C, D and so on until you reach point Z.

By writing every single step down on paper, you can track your progress towards your goals. By merely writing down your goals on paper, you dramatically increase your chance of success to reach your goals.

This activity will take you only 20 minutes or so. If that seems long, imagine how much time you will waste if you get distracted without an action plan.

Distractions can waste several hours of your time. Just getting distracted by one TV show can already take up an hour of your time. Having an action plan keeps you focused on the most important tasks. So invest 20 minutes in this activity. It's well worth the effort.

Here are 3 steps for creating an action plan:

• List down ALL the steps needed to reach your goal
First, take out a pen and paper and list down all the required steps and tasks that you need to take to reach your goal.

• Prioritize
Now, rank from a scale of 1-10 which is the MOST important. Put a 10 to a high-value task that contributes towards your goal achievement, and a 1 to not-so-important tasks.

Now rank your tasks from highest to lowest priority.

• Set Deadlines
Set deadlines for each step. When will you complete your highest priority task?

When you set deadlines, you build momentum and will start to get moving.

Tips for Executing Your Plan

Here are simple steps for you to execute your plan.

• Get a calendar - First, write down important dates on the calendar for the year. Don’t go into the micro-tasks yet. Just list the major tasks on the calendar. Do you have any important appointments? Anything due on these dates (Electricity Bills, Projects etc)? Place your calendar in your workplace so that you can see it all the time.

• Keep Yourself Accountable - Ensure that you keep your list of tasks and calendar in front of you all the time. This way you remind yourself to stay on track. Alternatively if you use software, ensure you set reminders to keep yourself on track. It doesn’t matter if you use paper or software, the key point is to keep yourself accountable to achieve your goals.

• Stay Motivated - Don’t let your motivation levels drop. Motivate yourself into action to reach your goals. You can learn how to stay motivated by using the motivation techniques provided on this site.

Final Tip

Written by Nate Fovaw