We’ve looked at commitment and at focus so we know that if we have the right goal and we are fully engaged with it then we are well on the way to business and personal success. A third crucial element in ensuring success is the planning and doing - doing the right things, in the right way and at the right time.

Why make life complicated and tie the two together? Simple – loads of people plan and don’t do, do without linking to their plan and don’t do things that really must get done.

So active planning is vital for anyone building a business or designing a successful life and career.

What does it mean?

* Have a clear picture of where you want to end up.
* Carefully fix the steps to get you there
* Commit to and schedule the steps (making allowances for life to through in a little turbulence)
* Do the work to complete each step in a thorough and timely way (Celebrate each completion)
* Check you are on course or adjust accordingly.

This approach gets rid of the two biggest routes to failure – doing the wrong things and losing sight of your plan.

These are really common – you’ve done it and so have I! Lots of times in the past I had great ideas and got really involved in doing them but they were not important in getting me where I truly wanted to be. It’s like prairie dogs. They have a guard, a nominated individual that stands on a hill and watches for predators. The rest get on with what they do – caring, feeding or playing. If the guard loses concentration someone gets eaten! If it stays focused they all have a good day.

The same with active planning - do the right things at the right time - be active and always focused on the end goal.

If there is more than one of you in the business do regular brief reviews. Check where you’ve been and where you go next and agree who will do what and when, ready for the next review. If it is just you or if it is your personal life you are working on include a ‘buddy’ or a coach or mentor.