A personal compass plan is a critical aspect to finding happiness and success.
It will give you structure, guidance, and clarity around your visions and objectives for your career and personal life.
A personal compass plan is always a work in progress, always evolving and always changing as you learn and experience different things. It is something to be used everyday.
Below are some suggestions to help you create an effective personal compass plan.
Create a mission
A personal mission will help you further identity your core values and beliefs.
When creating your personal mission think about combining your personal priorities and goals around relationships (the quality of relationships you want to have with friends, family, colleagues and clients), experiences (the memories you want to create), spirituality (following your beliefs and faith) and finances.
Your mission will be more powerful to you when combining these four values.
Be self aware
Being self-aware is an important element in building your self-esteem and confidence. Understand your own character, feelings, motives and desires. By being self aware you will also tap into your strengths which you can adapt to any situation.
Be positive
Your personal compass plan should be positive. It should motivate, encourage and inspire you towards your mission every day.
Set goals
Goals should be specific and measurable. When setting goals remember that a goal that doesn’t take much effort to achieve is not a goal at all. Create stretch goals and you will be surprised at how much more you will achieve.
Set deadlines
Set deadlines that will keep you focused and on track. The good thing about your compass plan is that it is yours and you are accountable for the end result.
Identify your big rocks
Identify the things that will have a big impact (aka your Big Rocks!) on your career and personal life. These big rocks (and you will only have a handful) will take up most of your attention and will make up the majority of your compass plan.
Be Flexible
Continuously evaluate your progress to achieving your goals. Sometimes things will happen that will set you back. If this happens just get back up and keep moving forward.
Get out of your comfort zone
To achieve something great and to increase your personal growth you need to step out of your comfort zone. How can you expect to develop your life and career when you’re stuck with the usual habit and routine?
Once you have created your plan remember to:
Review it quarterly: Invest the time every quarter to clarify and review your goals.
Plan weekly: Use your plan as a tool and allocate 30min on a weekly basis to clarify the activities you should be focusing on to reach your goals. Commit yourself and review it every single week.
Act daily: Take action, avoid interruptions and be 100% focused.
Review and change: Success is linked to the ability to constantly review what has been achieved, what has worked and what has not worked and to change direction if needed in order to achieve your goals.
Above all, be persistent and be prepared to adapt.