Planning...

Planning is the process of making plans for something.

Alan Lakein said, "Planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now." 

When is the last time you planned something? What was it? (Comment Below)

Planning has become a much greater part of my life this year and I have already seen the fruit of so much of that labor. Planning isn't easy, but it's necessary in accomplishing the greater things in life. It's really good in accomplishing pretty much anything. 

What planning does is allow you to vision and look forward towards your goal. It allows you to put the necessary pieces in place to accomplish that goal. Planning is essentially a month to month, day to day, goal outline that will allow you to stay focused and maintain an solid rhythm towards accomplishing your goal. 

My goal at the beginning of the year was to participate in a Spartan Race. It was my goal last year as well, however I didn't have a specific plan so naturally it never happened. This year my plan looks like this:

2017 Spartan Race Plan

January - Plan Running Strategy for 2017 (too cold to run...I'm a sissy!)

February - Walk/Run 5 miles every week (tracked via Samsung Health, aka my phone) Add 100 PushUp challenge.

March - Add earlier time to run for longer runs. (5am run time for 20 minutes) Cont. 100 Push Up Challenge

April - 5am run time for 25 minutes and Finish 100 PushUp Challenge

May - 5am run time for 30 minutes  (Run a 5k Race on June 3rd) Research Spartan Races.

June - 5am run time, then Mon-Thur. = 3miles, Friday = 6miles, Add 10 min. evening workout routine. Purchase Tickets to Spartan Race.

July - 5am run time, same Mon-Thur. = 3miles, Friday = 6miles (Run a 10k Race on July 4th) and Cont. evening workout routine but add 5 minutes. Research Spartan Race Workout Routines.

August - 5am run time, same Mon-Thur. = 3miles, Friday = 6miles and cont. evening workout routine adding another 5 minutes. (total - 20 minutes)

September - 5am run time, same Mon-Thur. = 3miles, Friday = 6miles and cont. even workout routine for 30 minutes.

October - SPARTAN RACE ON OCTOBER 21!!! (5am run time, same Mon-Thur. = 3miles, Friday = 6miles and cont. even workout routine for 30 minutes.)

This year I have a plan. This year I'm sticking to my plan. This year, I'm accomplishing my plan. 

What goals in your life do you have without specific plans? 

How do you want to live your life in a year, 5 years, 10 years? How are you going to get there? 

I assure you, without a goal you're going to have a much harder time getting there. If you even ever get there. 

Planning is a vital part of living. Alan Lakein also says, "Failing to plan, is planning to fail." 

Proverbs 21:5 says, "The plans of the diligent surely lead to abundance, but everyone who is hasty come only to poverty." 

Planning takes time and it's not easy. My plan to race a Spartan Race wasn't easy to put together. In fact I was still adjusting up until the end of March. Like all of my goals both at home and at work, they have taken time to put together. However, the time I took putting together the plans was nothing compared to the time I would have wasted by not having a plan that was going to get me prepared for racing in a Spartan Race. 

Last year I procrastinated and when it came time to race, I wasn't anywhere near being ready to race. This year I've stuck with my plan and feel that I will be fully ready to take on the massive Spartan Race! 

"All you need is the plan, the roadmap and the courage to press on to your destination." -Earl Nightingale 

"Every minute you spend in planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this give you a 1,000 percent return on energy." -Brian Tracy