THINK STRATEGICALLY

PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS Series 11

THINK STRATEGICALLY

A wise man said, "If you don't think, you'll stink." It takes thinking to put your life in perspective and move it from where it is now to where you want it to be. It takes thinking to move to a new higher level. It takes thinking to achieve a purpose.

Strategic thinking is setting a goal and putting in place well-thought plan to achieve the goal. Strategic thinking puts you in the class of warriors. No General goes to war without a strategy. Strategic thinking also puts you in the class of tower builders. The builder first sits down and think strategically. He plans his every step from foundation to finishing before ever he goes to the field. To be strategic therefore means to have a target, write down a step-by-step plan to reach the target, and keep to the plan until successfully reach the target.

Strategic thinking is the first step to move forward and higher. Because it comes from within, thinking strategically mobilizes all your powers to create a massive force that gets your life on the move. Without strategic thinking, we tend to become inert and sluggish. In addition ot arresting your inner powers, strategic thinking also has a strange way of attracting people and resources you need to accomplish your goal. Because you're thinking about it right now, you're more aware of it than ever. You seem to notice every thing and every body connected to the objects of your thought. So your life attracts the objects of your thinking.

Strategy differentiates productive thinking from wishful thinking. Thinking strategically means you tie what you want to achieve to a specific time. It becomes time-bound and you become time-conscious each time you think about it.

Strategic thinking involves goal-setting and planning.

What's a goal? A goal is a target you want to reach in a specific time. Goals are steps toward a desired future. A wise man said, "Effective goal-setting  provides an opportunity to bring the future to the present so that you can deal with it today."

There's a goal in every game. You've got to set goals in order to win the game of life. Don't be a spectator. Join the game of life and play to win. Go for goals.

Goals are stepping stones that lead to a vision. Goals help to breakdown the vision into achievable bits. A goal should be SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.

It has been discovered that "Fewer than 3% of adults have written goals and plans that they work on everyday." Set goals for your everyday activities, but set worthwhile goals. A worthwhile goal should challenge you, stretch you, and showcase your abilities.

Why set goals?
1. Goals give sense of purpose and direction in life.
2. Goals give power to live for the present.
3. Goals promote enthusiasm.
4. Goals help to assess progress.
5. Goals help to determine where to operate effectively.
6. Goals allow to emphasize results and not just activities.