I know. Here he goes again on this ‘making a plan’ thing. Yep that’s right. I am going to dedicate this article entirely to planning. Why? Because having a plan is in my experience one of the best ways to get you where you want to go. Without one you are likely to end up in a completely different place to what you had hoped. But the art of planning requires some thought and we’re going to show you how to paint a masterpiece worthy of your ultimate vision.
Why should I plan?
Excellent question. Here’s 9 good reasons:
- To have a plan means you need to be clear on what you are aiming for. Clarity points you in the right direction. Going the wrong way makes your practice a struggle and neither of us wants that.
- A plan helps you navigate through chaos and get things done.
- Procrastination is the friend of going nowhere. A plan helps you to create your vision, stay on track and realise your dreams.
- Being overwhelmed can be a part of running a practice. The art of planning is that it helps you focus on one thing at a time keeping your anxiety at bay and that swamped feeling in check.
- There are speed bumps on any path, your plan helps you pre-empt these, come up with strategies to avoid them and minimise their impact.
- Sometimes it’s easy to feel we are getting nowhere. A quick visit to your plan shows you what you have achieved.
- Seeing what you have achieved will reinvigorate your inspiration when your motivation wanes.
- Your plan guides you to your right path when distractions come knocking.
- Quite simply, your plan is the pathway to your dreams. Create your masterpiece with your own individual plan.
How do I create my own plan?
Excellent question. First of all you need to recognise that the true art of planning requires time. Start off with a general plan, keep it simple. Write down the main areas of your practice you need to work on.
Here’s some suggestions but feel free to add your own.
- Financial– What are your projected costs and income?
- Marketing– How do you propose to get people to visit your practice?
- People– What people do you need to consider? Staff, receptionists, clients etc
- Equipment– What things do you need to have for your practice to work?
- Place– Where do you want to practice or if you are already there how can you make it better?
- Systems – How can you make your practice seamless and efficient?
- Knowledge – What is missing and what needs to be improved?
These are the areas that I look at in my practice. But if you have other ideas, this is your plan – so go for it.
You can do this
Planning can seem overwhelming at times. You are looking at the big picture of all of the things that need to be done. Remember the art of planning is to keep it in perspective. You have the time. Just take it step-by-step…
Make it real
And once you have your plan laid out then you can list things in chronological order of importance. Try to set a timeframe for each task and stick to it. Review your plan once a month. What’s working? What isn’t? Perhaps you need to make some adjustments on your expectations of timeframe or add some things. Remember your plan is a living, breathing entity. Keep attending to it and it will become your dream.
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