If you have been working in corporate long enough like me, then you surely know how to get those nifty plans right. Faced with ambiguity, we corp folks are very good at breaking the ambiguity into smaller steps with fancy names and having a plan. The better ones of us put some timelines next to the step, use excellent software/great formatting for good old spreadsheets. And then comes the weekly update to stakeholders with a first class summary and lets not forget the red/amber/green ratings. Needless to say many promotions have been won and lost on the basis of those traffic signal updates.
Better version of you: But this article is not about those all so familiar corporate rituals which despite the facetiousness do serve a real purpose until they are overdone. This article is for each of us. We all aspire to a better version of us. Whether it is that rankling feeling after a clipped conversation with our partner, that feeling of distance from the apple of our eye, or the feeling of being left out in the team meetings, there is always something bothering each of us. The niggling worries of daily life and our to-do lists can often seem to takeover our existence. Happiness or it’s pursuit are delusional.
Wired for Hope: Human beings are wired for hope. This fact is proven beyond doubt in multiple studies. By nature we are more optimistic than pessimistic. Optimism sure has many benefits. We all know that optimist patients tend to get cured faster than pessimists. This bond with hope means that we continually look for ways to improve and love having something to look forward to. What can be a bigger sign of our wiring for hope than despite knowing that death is inevitable for each of us, we continue to strive individually and collectively for a better future? The leap of improvement is thus a must have non-negotiable aspect of each of us. The picture of my improvement leap may be very different from yours, but that’s beside the point here.
30/60/90 day plan: Those 5 year goals and life goals aside, how do we actually make that leap of improvement? Let’s take fitness as a goal and the most common sub-goal would be to lose weight. Will this goal happen by simply thinking and wishing it happens with a magic want? We all know the answer. Breaking down the goal into simpler steps is usually easier. In this case, completing a 6 km walk daily could be the goal for the first 30 days, with the first few days for easing into the goal. The goal for the 60 days deadline could be to add some intermittent jogging, and get more conscious of one’s eating habits. The goal for the 90 days deadline could be to add some more weights and exercise routines now that the body has got used to movement. Conscious eating habits would now be a second nature. See what happened here? By breaking the goal into simpler milestones, we improved our chances of success. 30/60/90 day plan framework can be applied to virtually most improvement opportunities in our regular life with ease. There is enough cushion built in for a few setbacks and bouncing back from them.
Whether it is finding the next job, or succeeding in the current job, working on relationship aspects, getting started on a new venture, the possibilities of application of this simple 30/60/90 day plan are immense. So, what are you waiting for?
Note: I am passionate about helping individuals maximize their career potential. With over 15 years of HR leadership experience, I offer a professional, personalized and affordable resume refresh and coaching experience.