This is a bit of a fun way to thinking about planning, whether its for your life, career or business. I've appropriated "google maps" to help you think about the components of a good PLAN.

1. Plan/ninga noun/verb with By LeesaWatego, 2009 with help from Google

2. lost? confused? what‘s next? where do I start? will I finish it? could anyone finish it? use the world’s most famous search engine to also help you plan your future …

4. Step 1. Where are you? Write down what you know & what you have RIGHT now

5. Step 2. Where do you want to go? Write down where you want to be; what you would like your business to look like

6. Step 3. How do you want to get there? How do you want/ how will you get there is important. What methods will you use?

7. Step 4. Avoid the “tolls”, pitfalls, risks. Think about/predict any risks or weaknesses – this will allow to plan to avoid them or to be prepared for them.

8. Step 5. Analyse the terrain/ environment to get a better picture of your journey Do a scan of your environment using different tools.

9. Step 6. Get help/directions from an expert. Ask for help/guidance from people who’ve already been on the journey you want to undertake

10. Step 7. Engage a mentor/coach to keep you on track & in the right direction. Sometimes you can get lost or take a wrong turn when you go on a long journey. A coach can be like a compass & keep you on track.

11. Step 8. Write down each goal, in order, and with measurables. Write down the steps you’ll need to take including the measures (what & by when) that let you know that you’ve reached or completed that step.

12. Step 9. Hit the refresh button regularly to make sure your current journey is really where you want to be, that no tolls have turned up and the terrain hasn’t changed.

13. A plan may be written on a piece of paper (a noun/a thing), but it’s the action (the verb/doing) of planning that results in you getting clear about your goals, ambitions, desires and choices. ? Where are you, where you want to be and how you want to get there – its up to YOU.

14. Presentation created by LeesaWatego, July 2009 www.google.com/profiles/lwatego Images from 1) Google Maps owned by Google Corporation. 2) Refresh button by Deleket (Jojo Mendoza – www.deleket.com). Downloaded from http://www.iconarchive.com/show/button-icons-by-deleket/Button-Refresh-icon.html