Grow With Me: My Approach To Planning

“A thousand times consistency beats intensity every time.” — Unknown

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” — Abraham Lincoln

The wisdom of Abraham Lincoln’s quote highlights the importance of thoughtful preparation and planning before taking action. In areas of my life where I invested significant time and effort in planning, I’ve found that I consistently achieved greater progress toward my goals.

Through trial and error, I’ve developed a planning approach that served me well in 2023 and that I carried forward into 2024. Here are a few things I’ve learned about planning:

1. Practice Makes Perfect: The more we plan, the better we get at it. It’s like a muscle that gets stronger with use.
2. Your Way is the Right Way: Everyone has their own planning style, and what works for one person might not work for another. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what fits you best.

Now, let’s delve into my current planning approach. Keep in mind that this is my approach at this point and I am always open to learning and improving my methods as I go!

The Famous OKRs: Objectives And Key Results Approach

Discovering OKRs through Sophia’s career planning post was a game-changer. The detailed and organized approach immediately struck me as a powerful tool for planning. Recognizing its potential beyond professional goals, I decided to utilize OKRs for personal planning and growth.

(PS: Most tech companies use this approach because of the famous book by John Doerr titled: Measure What Matters which highlighted how Google and other top tech companies leverage OKRs for growth.)

What are OKRs?

Objectives: These represent your long-term goals, spanning timeframes like 1, 3, 5, or even 10 years. According to Sophia, if your Objectives make you feel uncomfortable, that’s a sign that you’re setting up your OKRs with a healthy amount of rigour.

Key Results: These are measurable and specific milestones that directly contribute to the Objective. They provide a clear picture of your progress towards your goals. Key Results are outcomes, not activities.

So, how does this translate into real-world applications across different aspects of life, such as spirituality, finances, career, fitness, and relationships? Great question!

Let’s illustrate this concept with an example from my career OKRs for this year to give you a clearer picture:

Objective: Building My Career As A Rock Star Product Manager :)

Key Results For Quarter 1

Objectives provide the overarching vision; the bigger picture, while Key Results serve as measurable milestones that offer regular progress updates on your journey towards that vision. I review my Objectives monthly and quarterly to ensure I’m on track and make adjustments as needed.

Now, let’s explore another example of my fitness goals.

Key Results On Fitness

Key Results are broken down and tracked every month.

This year, one of my Objectives is to prioritize my health. To hold myself accountable, I set a Key Result of hitting the gym 144 times, which translates to roughly 12 times per month. Am I on track? Well, reviewing my progress from January to April revealed that I wasn’t on track. However, achieving this goal is still very much possible!

Here’s the essence of the OKR approach:

1. Define Ambitious Objectives: Start by setting ambitious goals for different areas of your life (e.g., Objective: Improve health).
2. Break Down Progress: Translate those goals into measurable and specific Key Results. Ask yourself: “What does progress look like weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly?” (e.g., Key Result: Hit the gym 144 times this year).
3. Track and Adapt: Regularly monitor your progress against your Key Results. If needed, adjust your approach or goals to stay on track.

Many of us set goals, sometimes even confusing activities with goals, without a clear system for tracking progress. This often leads to discouragement by mid-year when progress seems nonexistent, even though that might not be entirely true.

Plan + Discipline = GOAL

Now that you’ve discovered another way to plan with OKRs, remember that the key ingredient to success is discipline! Just like my own fitness Objective of improving my health — it requires dedication to achieve the Key Result of hitting the gym 144 times this year.

It’s true, we’re already four months into 2024, but it’s never too late to get back on track! Embrace the OKR approach and start planning for your own goals. While I may have had a rough start with my gym attendance, I’m determined to catch up and achieve my target.

So, take the first step today! Identify your Objectives, set measurable Key Results, and commit to consistent action. Remember, discipline is the bridge that connects your plans to your achievements. “No gree for anybody this year!” Let’s make things happen!

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