Online Reporter
Rutendo Gwatidzo
Changing Perspectives
I believe that many of us have laid our plans for the year in such a manner that should set us up for success if we act upon them. The Bible says “faith without action is dead”.
Coming back to the topic of planning that we spoke about last week, the bible statement given above simply means that planning without action yield no results. For years, some of us have been very good at planning but very poor or very bad at actioning the plans and this is probably the reason why we remained on one position. Others have actually become worse off yet they carry amazing plans each year. In as much as it is many factors that contribute towards success, execution after planning is key.
Until you bring your plans to action, you have intentions that are like seeds without soil. Come to think of it, each year farmers buy or they reserve seeds for the next year. However, when rains come and those seeds are not put under the soil, they remain seeds and with time they may face attack from moth and loose value. Eventually, the seed may be thrown away.
The same applies to plans that remain on paper without being put into action, eventually they may get outdated and become irrelevant. We are already in the second week of January and it is therefore crucial to begin to act now if you hadn’t started already.
Everything big started small. There is a Chinese proverb that says “the journey of a thousand miles started with one step” Be encouraged to start from wherever you are. The process might take long for you to reach the desired result, nevertheless keep moving.
The main challenge with some of us is that they lack patience with the process. They want things to happen fast and even faster than they expect and when things do not go their way, they give up.
Reality check
Let us look practically at different scenarios. A house no matter the availability of labour and material resources, cannot be built in one day. A child cannot be conceived and be born in one day. A business cannot start, establish and do well in one day. Even life itself is a process that goes through different stages. I then wonder why some of us want to reach the top in one day.
Let us look at authors as well from whom we learn different things. It is a process for one to come up with a book, the author cannot write and publish in one day. Education is also a process, a degree for instance, cannot be achieved in one day. As such, after putting your plans and strategies on how to accomplish those plans on paper, be patient with the process. All you need to do is to keep moving towards the achievement of your goal.
It is doable
Set your plans into priorities to see what requires action first and review progress as you go to see if you are on track. The road may not always be straight, you may come across turns and twists, as long as the road leads you to your goal then commit to focus and endure the process.
Break up your plan into small easy steps to avoid overexerting yourself. This will also provide you with a certain degree of motivation as you tick off goals accomplished step by step. The momentum will kick in and help you to keep going. Try to always reward yourself when you complete a target and enjoy the becoming process. Waiting to enjoy once off when the bigger goal is met may drain your energy levels especially if the goal takes long to reach.
Take heed, if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to reach far then move with others. It is therefore important to understand what you really want before you take off.
If you need company, then be careful to walk with destiny helpers not destiny killers. Understand what you have in common with those you journey with and see if it tallies with your values and principles as this is what will keep you together when the going gets tough.
Do not despise humble beginnings. Be your number one cheer person. In as much as the encouragement of others is needed, be able to encourage yourself. A man called
David in the Bible was indeed a great King and leader. Often times, he encouraged himself in the Lord. This is because there may be times when everyone else fail to support you in the best way you want. There may be times when your vision partners fail to understand you and these are the times you need to rely on your own inner strengths. I believe that everyone knows better what makes them stand or break. Use that knowledge to your best advantage and keep moving.
Put your plans into action to avoid living in the fantasy world. It only seems impossible until done, so get up now and begin to act.
Be challenged, Be encouraged, Be inspired and Make the difference. All the best.
Rutendo Gwatidzo is an entrepreneur, HR consultant, team builder, transformational speaker and author. She’s managing director for Africanglow Enterprises that does corporate wear and interior designs. She’s very vocal and relentless in inspiring hope to the underprivileged to rise from setbacks and continue moving forward. Her strategic strengths come from the ability to see things differently to make a difference. Contact details – 0714575805/ [email protected] / Rutendo Gwatidzo official FB public page
