The Law of Design says that if you want to maximize growth, you need to develop strategies.  Why is it that every time I need to do something that needs to be done, there is always something that has to be done before I do it?

The short answer is that old saying “if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”  From personal experience, I can tell you that most good intentions without a plan end up just that – intentions.  On the other hand, when you develop a solid strategy to accomplish the mission, it is much more likely you will end up with a successful result.

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan.  And guess what they may have planned for you?  Not much.”  –  Jim Rohn

Developing good strategies takes thought and effort.  But the return on investment is priceless when you consider the alternative.  John Maxwell in his book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth gives us his thoughts on life and developing strategies:

1.  LIFE IS VERY SIMPLE BUT KEEPING IT THAT WAY IS VERY DIFFICULT

Life is simple but the culture we live in today thrives on filling every minute of every day with distractions and obstacles that have all removed us from the simplicity that once ruled a twenty four hour day.  Do you think Teddy Roosevelt ever got stressed out because the internet was down?

2.  DESIGNING YOUR LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN DESIGNING YOUR CAREER

This one is huge, especially for us men.  For the most part, we design our lives around what we do and often neglect to develop strategies that improve ourselves.  One of the five pillars of my life success plan states that “all progress begins with the individual.”  Simply put, if we don’t take care of ourselves first, eventually the foundation will crumble.

3.  LIFE IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL

Is this stating the obvious?  I don’t think so.  I have been guilty more times than I would like to admit that I have approached a goal prepared to fail and simply start over.  A well thought out plan and strategically implemented strategy would have saved me much grief throughout my life.

4.  IN PLANNING YOUR LIFE, MULTIPLY EVERYTHING BY TWO

If you are familiar with CPM scheduling, you understand the concept of float.  Float is the time allowed for things to take longer than they would if everything went just right but still stay on schedule.  In reality, even with a good plan, things seldom go exactly per plan.  Life is no different.  If you have not built in some float, you will find yourself behind shortly after you leave the gate.

Remember when you were a kid shooting baskets and you missed and then said “OK, this one counts”, and you continued the youthful insanity until you made a basket? Well, we all have our big boy pants on now and every shot we take has a consequence. Take the time before your next project, for the rest of your life for that matter, and develop a strategy that will lead to success.

The game clock of life is ticking and every shot counts.  What steps have you taken to make sure the ball goes in the hoop?

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Next Up:  Law #8  The Law of Pain.

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   11/21/12       photo by author