Your Plan
Life is a plan whether you contribute to the plan or not!
Just think of how society is governed and how your culture/lifestyle fits into it. Immediately, we know that there are numerous things that we cannot control, manufacture, or predict—life happens. This pandemic happened. Be that as it may, there are still options available to us. Having control is not the problem; not having a response to life from a place of inner strength is the problem.
An action plan is not a schedule, but a schedule is usually part of the action plan. It’s easy to think of a workplace plan of action—its purpose, demands, workers/managers … somehow a structure just makes sense.
The same holds true for our household and/or extended family members. A plan of action makes sense. A way of keeping track of sporting events, dates, school or college, after-school programs, doctors’ appointments, rehearsals, study time, child care, and so on; or being quarantined. Being at home must incorporate grocery shopping, laundry, sleep, eating, personal care, exercise, relaxation and— getting and keeping our personal selves involved.
Where do we put self-expression, personal growth, points of interest, helping others, doing what we know we should/could do, and, most of all, a relationship with our Father, the Creator of the universe? “What should I do?” or “How do I do it?” should never come from emotional or fearful patterns. Operating from a faith standpoint yields results more clearly connected to your purpose. God operates from the inside out, which is why change requires so much of us. It is also why we cannot force our plans onto others to change. Plans are an integral part of change and must be individualized.
Action plans are the vehicles that usher in specific and deliberate change or order. We need them because they help us to focus and build accountability into our personal agenda. They help remove the fear of failure and gain control of the enemy and “inner me”. When action plans match our desires, needs, resources and capabilities, they generate a clear passageway for single mindedness, new habits, creativity… This is seeking God’s purposeful change for His relevant existence.
Don’t try to figure out how long the pandemic will be; you and I need a plan of action now. Let’s get personal now, but not too personal. We should not view every obstacle and problem as an indictment against ourselves. That viewpoint freezes the idea of possibilities from activating in our life. It’s never about trying to stop life from its twists and turns (our own or others); it’s about using our own unique and special skill sets (body-mind-spirit connections) to override them.
While no one can give you a plan, remember, it’s a working tool personalized by the intended individual for a specific intended end. However, I can give you guidelines to help you form a foundation to launch your action plan from.
Warning: Don’t try to fix everything all at once; start with small steps. Remember that God knows our desires and needs, so the Word is a good place to start assembling a personal plan.
“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV.
A Four Point Strategy
1. Set SMART (Simple, Manageable, Attainable, Realistic, and Trackable) goals that have specific scriptural support.
2. Make your objectives (the steps you’ll take to attain the goal) sequential. This is done by breaking the goal into small components, with a system for achieving each part.
3. List benchmarks (workable points) to tell you how it will look, feel, or sound as you accomplish each goal. This helps you know when you are on track and, more importantly, alerts you when you’re not so you can adjust yourself appropriately.
4. Evaluate your procedure and your ending point: Are you where you wanted to be? If so, decide on a method to “maintain” your growth and keep moving. If not, review your plan for places that missed the mark and try again.
Action planning benefits:
• Relieves stress over how things will turn out.
• Reduces the element of negative surprises in the course of daily functions.
• Renews strength and hope for the positive.
• Rejects senseless activities that lead to wasted time instead of productivity.
• Recalculates ways to use inner strength and resources.
• Regulates excessive dealings with OPP (Other People’s Problems)
• Rejuvenates physical endurance and healthy emotional expression.
• Reduces depression.
• Repairs possible family/friend relationships that previously lost your attention.
• Rewards sacrifice, commitment, and consistent thinking and being.
• Recommends the rephrasing of wounded speech with words of possibilities and promise.
• Remembers the good over the bad so you can see some good outcomes, even when bad happens.
• Reproduces a way to get over what was lost and move on to what is to be gained.
• Rewrites your story in the now.
