| I came across this idea from a coach I had a few | | | | create tiny boxes for my 30 day, 60 day and 90 |
| years ago. He got it from a mentor of his. Who | | | | day objectives based on my goals. |
| knows where she got it. I was in his office after | | | | "The biggest mistake most people make when |
| coming back from lunch when he pulled me over | | | | they lay out a plan is to write a goal focus on the |
| to his desk. There was a picture frame on his | | | | goal for a few days until they get bored." Said |
| desk that I've seen a thousand times. The | | | | my coach. This layout began to take shape. I had |
| problem was that I assumed that it was his wife | | | | carefully inserted three objectives for each goal |
| and two sons. No it wasn't. | | | | spanning the next 30 days, 60 days and 90 days, |
| He asked me if I ever saw this before, and I | | | | respectively. |
| shrugged, thinking that I've seen his wife a million | | | | Now comes the kicker - Coach had me list a |
| times. To my surprise, he laid the frame on the | | | | series of daily action steps that I could take for |
| desk and I began to laugh. He had a discolored | | | | each of the goals I outlined and then said the |
| cocktail napkin with looked like faded cola stains | | | | magic words. 'Successful people don't focus on |
| and light blue ink that must have been black in the | | | | the goal, they focus on the steps they need to |
| good old days. | | | | take on the way to the goal." |
| "First business plan" my friend and coach said to | | | | The bright lights came on in my head and it all |
| me. No, I said, it's an old stained, faded napkin. All | | | | made sense now. I immediately took the picture |
| this time I thought that this guy was brilliant. So I | | | | frame in my hand and tried to make out the |
| decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. | | | | words etched in the napkin. It was of course the |
| "Is this a teaching moment?" I asked. In response | | | | outline for his first successful business. To this day |
| he grabbed a sheet of paper and asked me to | | | | I keep my 8.1/2 by 11 sheet pinned to my wall in |
| write my most cherished value. He wanted me to | | | | my office. I do use a fancy computer program |
| list at least four values. I followed his instructions. | | | | for my full business plan but for the inspiration as |
| "Next, think of a clear vision of your future and | | | | well as the clarity of purpose, nothing beats the |
| come up with a few short sentences that clarified | | | | simple cocktail napkin plan. |
| your thoughts about them. Come up with two or | | | | I hope you lay out your own cocktail napkin plan |
| three sentences that described your future | | | | even if it's on a regular sheet of paper. Start with |
| vision." He instructed. | | | | your Core Values; add your vision statement; |
| Now he asked me to write out five goals that fit | | | | outline five long or medium range goals; create a |
| into the vision of my future. | | | | mission statement based on the five goals. When |
| The next step was interesting because I'm not | | | | you've done that, establish your 30, 60, 90 day |
| very neat when it comes to handwriting, so my | | | | objectives that will get you to the goals. |
| scralls were all over the paper. I was to connect | | | | Now the really important part. What daily tasks |
| my five goals with a mission statement. | | | | will you be able to accomplish to reach the |
| If I knew where this was heading, I would have | | | | objectives? How are you going to monitor and |
| written things down a little neater. Nonetheless, I | | | | measure those daily activities to accomplish the |
| applied my best calligraphy to the sheet of paper. | | | | goals? Give it a try. You my be on your way to |
| After crafting my sentence to fit all the goals | | | | building your next fortune on that sheet of scrap |
| neatly within the mission statement, he had me | | | | paper. |