What's Your Life Strategy?

Tips from Testimony: Transcend Your Personal Boundaries ©

Revelation. Victory. Success. Conquer. Leadership. Strength. Faith.

These words are powerful and inspiring. But words alone don't create the characteristic desired. Words must lead to action. Day Four of 7 Days of Preparation: Launch the Transformation!© focuses on Life Strategies. After facing your fears, being still, and creating A Model of Victory™, you must develop an action plan to design the transformation you want to see.

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” - Sun Tzu, Chinese Military General, Author of The Art of War 

What is strategy?
strategy:
1. planning in any field: a carefully devised plan of action to achieve a goal
2. planning of war: the science or art of planning and conducting a war
3. adaptation important to evolutionary success: adaptation that improves viability
What is tactic? 
tactic: 1. means to a goal: a method used or a course of action followed in order to achieve a goal

I wish it was as easy as saying I want to become a doctor, then going to a hospital expecting someone to show you how to become one, or being promoted to director within the first year of your career, or becoming an best-selling author after just picking up a pen and being published immediately, or an entrepreneur making a quick million with your first idea. The world have a few phenoms from time to time, and God is able to change your life in a day; however, for the most part, every successful person "did something" and "said something" to get to a place and a position of expertise, prominence, and accolade. There is a price to pay for transformation. The price is time, money, talent, people, and dedication. Answer these questions? What are you doing to get to the place of promise? What are you saying that garners the support for the process? Whether its losing money or time or people, the value added at the end outweighs what you may lose.

Did you know creating the life you want is the art of war? Yes, once you're determined to pursue a life of abundance, the life you desire... your creative, thought-provoking dream conflicts with your inner and outer critics and present situation. Nevertheless,  a tested strategy and proven tactics will enable you to achieve your goals to fulfill your dream. Above I gave you the terminology, now, I will outline succinct and practical steps, utilizing a personal example, to help you develop a life strategy to continue your journey to transformation.

                       Five Steps to Create A Life Strategy©

This process will define or refine and focus your beliefs, values, life vision, and personal mission to develop practical goals and tactics to create an implementable strategic life plan.

Step 1: Clarify what you believe. You cannot have a clear vision until your personal belief is clear. Belief statements don’t have to pass someones test of truth; it is your strong conviction that makes it true.

An example: I believe no one should suffer from poverty

Step 2: Envision what you believe. Vision become reality because of what you believe or value. Vision creates pictures in your mind of what could be. Now, that you have clarified what you believe, what life vision do you have? Here’s the thing about a vision. It should be big and inspiring. It may be fluid, unlike a belief, your vision may change. What you envision today, may change in 5 or 10 years because of what you experience, but your belief will not change.

An example of a personal vision because of the belief/value: I envision everyone living in poverty getting a livable wage job or attend school.

Step 3: Develop a personal mission statement. A mission statement is an expression of what you will do because of what you envision. Personal Mission statements made without reference to a compelling vision have no moral authority. A personal mission is something that can be accomplished. It is your bundle of goals that need to be unbundled, if I will, into tactics.

An example of a personal mission because of the life vision: offer self-development workshops, mentoring, and networking opportunities to low income adults to increase the chances of getting a livable wage job or attend school.

Step 4: Establish Goals: This is where your life strategy takes shape. It is how you will accomplish your personal mission. Use the S.M.A.R.T methodology to develop your goals. Is it specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely?

Goal 1: Awareness: I will develop print and electronic media awareness tools to educate communities about resources to help relieve the suffering of being impoverished. 

Owner: Malcolm 

Deadline: February 2014.

Goal 2: Fundraising: I will engage in three fundraising activities (car wash  hot dog sale, women's conference) to help with the awareness materials. Fundraising goal: $5,000.00 
Owner: Moiah 

Deadline: January 2014. 

Step 5: Outline Tactics: Define the who, what, when and where for your goals.

This is a different analogy from the one in steps 1-4, yet it's a simple format you can use for all the steps:

• I believe no one should suffer from hunger
• I envision a world where all people eat three balanced meals a day
• My mission is to grow community gardens where low income families can have a reliable and consistent source of fruit and vegetables they can get at a reduced cost or for free
• Goal 1: Create flyers, brochures, media kit.
• Tactics: 1: Contract designer and public relations representative.(List all tactics to achieve Goal 1)
• Owner(s):
• Deadline:
• Budget:

Developing your life strategy is key to living a transformed life. It is the GPS when distractions, roadblocks, and detours come your way. Designing a life is more important than planning to get a job, social activities, weekly menus, or weekend wardrobe. To transcend your personal boundaries, you must settle your thoughts about how you will do it. I have offered a tool, a weapon. Now you must pick it up, use it to paint a beautiful picture of your life or those who look at this as war, use it to slay the naysayers; either way, use it to transform your life!

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Contact me if you want to create your model of victory or life strategy. Thank you.

From presentation "7 Days of Preparation: Launch the Transformation!" ©  

T. Nichole Faulkner Paradigm Coaching and Consulting ™336.508.6416 vm