Written by Machen MacDonald

The old adage - plan your work and work your plan is a cornerstone to the foundation of success. It has never been more true than right now. The challenge for most small business owners and entrepreneurs is they don’t know how to effectively plan for growing their business. If they do plan, they typically struggle with implementing the plan.

The one thing we can plan on is the plan not going according to plan. To that point, it’s important to have a process to anticipate and adapt to the ongoing calibration of the plan so that in the end, the intended objectives are achieved and there is cause for celebration.

Here is a proven process for creating a plan that works and executing the plan effectively along the way.

We refer to this as the 5X5 Traction method. Five elements for planning and 5 elements for staying on track by celebrating and calibrating 

The important elements of a compelling plan answer these five key questions:

1. Where are you headed over the next 3-5 years and what do you want your business to look like when you get there? (Include: Desired revenue. Quantity & quality of ideal clients. Characteristics & qualities of employees. Contributions you are making. Solutions you are known for. Unique qualifications that make you your ideal clients’ first choice.)

2. Why does your company, product, and/or service exist?

3. What milestones do we need to measure and achieve along the way over the next 12 months?

4. How specifically will you accomplish those milestones?

5. Who is going to do what by when to complete the projects and segments for each of the milestones?

Once you have taken the time to bring forth and capture your best strategic thinking into a plan that answers the questions above, you have to get into gear and move forward. Afterall, you can’t navigate a parked car.

The most important thing to do each and every day is to review your plan as if it is already achieved. As you review your plan follow these five processes for achievement at the start and end of each day. You can remember these five steps by the word IMAGE.

I – Intention. Set your intention not just for the day, but for each segment of your day. You may need to show up differently in different meetings. One meeting may need you to be really creative while another may require you to be more compassionate.

M – Magic. Look for and notice the magic, luck, or even miracles that show up throughout the day. These are the things you can’t plan and yet show up to help you along your way. The more you look, the more you’ll see. They are all around you. It could be a chance meeting with the perfect partner for a joint venture all the way to a prospect you thought you lost six months ago calling in with a big order because the company they went with failed them.

A – Affirmations. What uniquely qualifies you to succeed? Have that at-the-ready in your mind for when the going gets tough or the wind is knocked out of your sails. A few favorites of the clients I coach are: I am resilient. I am resourceful. I am deserving of great success. I get big things done. To boost the effectiveness of your affirmations flip them into a question and let your mind remind you why you are that affirmation. Per the affirmations above, it’s as simple as, Why am I so resilient? How am I always so resourceful? What makes me so deserving of great success? How am I so effective at getting big things done? Listen for the evidence. It’s there. If the B.S. meter goes off, listen for what you may need to learn, do, or become in order to ultimately answer in the affirmative.

G – Gratitude. Look for the progress, any progress. What we focus on expands. When we look for and notice the progress we feel better than if all we see are things going wrong. Progress is happiness. When we feel good we do good.

E – Expansion. The premise of this is that things happen for our betterment and not to our detriment. What we may judge as a setback may be a set-up for success or breakthrough that we don’t recognize currently. Take the time to review what went well and what needs to improve. Ask yourself: What did I learn? How did I grow or improve? What did I accomplish? How did I contribute or make things better? If the day could have gone better, ask: What did I learn about myself? How can I avoid this from happening again? What will I do going forward?

Use the IMAGE prompts above to journal or diarize your daily success of implementing your plan. Each week, look back over each day and calibrate your plan. Each month look back over the weeks to calibrate your plan. You will be amazed at your progress. Remember, progress equals happiness.

Make it up, make it fun, and get it done! 

#1 bestselling author Machen P. MacDonald, CPCC, CCSC is a certified life and business coach with ProBrilliance Leadership Institute in Grass Valley, CA. He helps business people gain more confidence and clarity to live their ideal life. He can be reached at [email protected] and 530-273-8000