Work the Plan

As we watch 2014 wind down, we can’t help but think ahead to 2015. We all know the New Year’s drill – make a resolution, follow it for a few weeks and then go back to the old, comfortable ways. That happens because there isn’t a solid, actionable plan.

I learned something the other day about measurements and key performance indicators. We know the desired outcome and the measurements around that. Let’s say it is losing weight. You set a goal of weighing X pounds by date Y. That’s great and easily reviewed. But how do you get there?

If there is an action whose results will lead to the goal, then it is important to measure that action on a daily basis. Let’s say that you eat 10 cookies per day. Each cookie has 50 calories. Each pound of fat comes from 3500 extra calories. The math says that the 70 cookies per week equate to a pound of fat. If you cut them out you should lose (or stop gaining) 1 pound per week. Since the ‘cold turkey’ method is probably not going to work, you could plan a reduction of 1 per day in week 1, 2 per day in week 2 and so on. Planning for and then measuring your actual cookie intake will lead directly to your goal of weight loss.

The adage “Plan your work and work your plan” is front and center here. The same applies to business. Having a solid plan makes it very easy to act and then react as necessary to changing conditions. If you stick to the plan you shall achieve the success