When we fail to plan, we plan to fail. Do you agree? There is often a debate about whether planning ahead in your business is capable to its true potential given that things are constantly changing. This may hold some truth in areas of technology for example, but in the world of relationship business (marketing) people, are still people.
Planning ahead doesn’t need to be years ahead either, but if we consider short term, and long term goals – we can convert the short term into action points, thus plans. Typically, long term goals are based on the successes of short terms ones, so the planning stages are also ongoing.
Successful people, plan.
There is just no way around that. Sure, based on an experience you might find some situations where you are forced to wing it, but all in all, I promise you, planning ahead will only help your growth in your business.
But … How do you plan ahead?
Let’s visit a few reasons why planning ahead is beneficial to your success.
Five Reasons Why Planning Ahead Matters
Becoming Proactive. Without proper planning ahead in business, we would not be readily able to respond to challenges we are faced with. And as a result, we become reactive. Planning ahead helps you become more proactive.
By becoming proactive, you will be able to take the right action in the face of challenge and adversity. As a result, you are more open to changes because you are prepared for any type of challenge. When you are proactive, you respond to situations rather than reacting to them.
Improves Performance. There is a direct correlation between the level of your preparation and the level of your performance. Hear me out, routine plans and preparation lead to routine performances. Good plans and preparation lead to good performance. Remarkable plans and preparation lead to remarkable performance. See the trend there?
Planning ahead helps improve your overall performance and that of your organization. It is likely you will experience less stress, be more productive, experience greater attraction and become a more effective and influential leader.
Ability to Develop Teams. Team development is vital to your network marketing or general business success, growth, and frankly, the organization as a whole.
Teams suffer without plans. After a while, teams experience internal and external conflict, which results in confusion, low productivity, less creativity, dissociation and in some cases, quitting. By planning ahead, you and the team leaders in your business will have enough time to develop your teams. Develop them into leaders. 
Evaluating Risk and Opportunity. Taking risks is necessary for growth. Expanding your comfort zone, and achieving success. Planning ahead gives us the confidence to take the risks that others may not take. Leaders who are not willing to take risks may never fulfill their vision and their success may be short lived, or even more so, short-sighted.
By planning ahead, we can identify the associated risks, weigh them, prioritize and create a plan accordingly. In this way, we can transform risks to opportunities and experience the rewards of taking them.
Planning ahead helps you and your organization become assertive in taking risks while executing on plans.
Rewards and Achievements. By planning ahead we plan for success. And, as mentioned above, remarkable plans lead to remarkable performances, which lead to remarkable rewards. Therefore, spending enough time in making remarkable plans and preparing for a remarkable performance will pay off with extraordinary rewards. And depending of course on the business model you are working with, extraordinary may even be an understatement!
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Let’s consider this thought for a moment. Without planning ahead for your business, you are inadvertently putting a ceiling on what’s possible. You are capping its potential, without allowing an opportunity to soar. There are a few tips, that can also help with momentum and achieving greatness.
Lead, don’t manage.
Consider this, what would happen in your business if you spent less time training, hand holding, etc than you did doing. When you experience growth in your business it’s exciting, you want to get down to business with that new person right away. But develop a plan. Plug them into a system they can duplicate without your constant assistance.
Help them make a plan. Once they commit to sticking to – no different than a lifestyle change or New Years resolution – except that they’re equipped with planning ahead, and not just an ideology that everyone else is doing it.
Avoid re-inventing the wheel. You may have some amazing qualities and ones that set you apart – which is why it is possible you are presently in a leadership position but know that in most cases, those amazing qualities, especially ones like charisma, can’t be taught, or duplicated.
So, in your plan, plan for your team’s success – not only yours. Because really, our success is only as strong as our weakest player.
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Did this help you? If so, I would greatly appreciate if you shared this content and commented below.
I look forward to hearing from you and your personal development achievements!
And, definitely, check this out in the event you are looking to see how it is I have changed my life through the Network Marketing Industry over the past 12 years (and how you can too!)
Rick Billings
COACH. TRAINER. HOME BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR.
Email: rick@rickbillings.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/rickbillingsentrepreneur/
Skype: rbillings3
