Imagine you want to lose, say, five pounds. So you make a plan (lower-case p). You decide to give up wine, to eat fewer carbs, or count points, whatever….yet it somehow doesn’t happen. Things get in the way. You open the fridge and can’t make a decision, so you just grab the Frosted Flakes and milk as usual. And, before you know it, it’s back to deciding to put it all off until tomorrow, or next Monday.
What went wrong?
You had a plan, but not a Plan (with a capital P).
Now imagine a Plan.
You take ten minutes on Sunday to list 7 breakfasts, lunches and dinners you love that fit your plan(repeats are fine, too – hey, it’s life), and a few snack ideas. And, right then, you choose 1 from each list to pencil in for Monday – or, for some, make a rough-out for the week. Also make sure you have the “tools” you need – and, if not, make that shopping list and plan when you will buy them – or go get them now (preferably when not hungry). Then, place some tools on the counter for breakfast – the measuring cup, whatever will give you “activation energy” to remind you of your plan and make it easy to make the right decision.
break it down…
What are the chances, with a Plan, that you will make the right choices and take steps toward meeting your goals? Yeah, that’s right. And five minutes each night, roughly planning food choices for the next day, (and tha actual time you’ve scheduled in to work out, even better) greatly increase your chances of success.
So – what does this have to do with your Voice-Over success?
It’s in the HOW – and it’s in the Plan.
Want more new clients? Don’t we all.
Wake up tomorrow morning to a Plan for the day, and a flexible idea list for the week’s goals (like that list of meal ideas in the previous example). If your Plan includes, for example, the following:
9-10 AM – answer e-mail, and write VO cover letter for medical production companies
10-11 AM – research 3 companies – who to contact? what is their work like?
1-2 pm – GYM
4-5 pm – send e-mails to the 3 companies researched this morning
…aren’t chances better these tasks will be completed? And with less anguish, fewer minutes spent deciding what to do?
(there is white space here, because we can’t program or plan everything! The stuff we know we’ll get done (Like the VO session, picking kids up from school, auditioning online) - doesn’t have to be on a to-do Plan. All I am saying is – a Plan greatly increases the chances of getting closer to your goal.
Need to practice VO skills? Don’t just say “I will” — say when, and how. Schedule that webinar into your calendar. Set aside a time to enter the VO Script contest at Edge Studio, or the Weekend Workout at VoiceRegistry. Schedule that session with a coach you’ve admired.
Things are most likely to happen when you spend a few minutes realistically planning when and how they will happen. That few minutes will save you hours of indecision. And you’ll be amazed and what you can do.
This is, of course, just one goal-achieving thought. Read Tom Dheere’s posts, or take any of his business webinars, for more great ideas. Read about “accountabilibuddies“, Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, check out articles like this one by Terry Daniel.
plans are vague. Plans are specific.
plans are in your head. Plans are written down.
plans are all or nothing. Plans leave room for flexibility.
plans reveal dreams. Plans are small, attainable, measurable steps to goals, which include continuously answering the question:
“HOW?”
- until you find that dream reduced to the next step you can take.
Got it? Me too. Now if I can just remember to follow my own advice. (Not easy. But very few worthwhile challenges are. We will always be a work in progress)
Happy 2013 to you! May all your Plans come true.
