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In the previous post, we have seen how to set goals the Logical Way. Now there’s much more detail that I want to touch up on with regard to setting goals, but let me set that aside for the upcoming weeks and in this post shift the focus a bit and look into how to go about actually achieving a goal using a plan of action.

Granularity of goals

In reading about Logical Goals, you would have noticed that the word “goal” itself could have a wide scope. In fact, the vision component of a goal is a goal in itself. In this article we are going to see how we can make a plan of action to help achieve a goal better. The plan of action will consist of tasks, and we will talk about that in just a moment. As you would see, the tasks defined to achieve a goal are again goals in themselves. We can further talk about sub-tasks, and go to even deeper levels. All such tasks/sub-tasks are in turn goals, which in turn lead to the ultimate vision. The scope of the word goal itself is very wide and can range from a very simple task to a very big vision. By the way, the concept of a resolution comes somewhere in between, more on the vague side closer to the vision.

When setting goals using the logical approach (or for that matter, any approach), you should take caution not to set goals whose target is a lower order task, as that would make the number of goals on your list too many to manage. At the same time, the goal’s target cannot be at the level of a vision, as that leave too much room for ambiguity in defining the target. The granularity of the goal should be just right to be able to synergize with the rest of your goals in life and yet be specific and clear.

That said, let’s get into the plan of action for a goal.

The roadmap to the goal

As can be seen from the definition of a logical goal, the goal itself does not outline the concrete approach that is to be taken to achieve the target. That is because, when first setting the goal, you may not know how you are going to achieve it or whether it is even practical for you in the first place. Making a plan of action is a separate activity altogether, which lays the roadmap to the destination and gives a clear insight into the practicality of the goal and how to go about achieving it.

You may have in mind a number of approaches that you could take to accomplish the goal, but you would need to choose one of those approaches as your roadmap before getting into the details of the plan of action. However, the other approaches would always remain as options that could be made use of in case there is ever a need for exercising flexibility in the plan, which we would talk about a little further down in this post.

Visualizing the details

To put it in simple terms, making a plan of action is about splitting the Target component of a goal into practical tasks/subtasks that are as tiny as possible. Once the roadmap is decided upon, it is then a matter of visualizing every possible detail of the road that leads to the target. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But the truth is that a lot of brainstorming can go into deciding on the details of the approach towards achieving the target and then deciding on all the tasks/subtasks that would make up the plan of action. Splitting the tasks can be a long and tedious process. You might want to take it step by step, outlining an overall plan at first and then making it more and more detailed with each step. You should finally have a completely exploded and detailed split-up that can give you a visibility of tasks that can be completed in a week, or a day or even an hour’s time, and the earlier you have such a detailed plan the better it is for achieving the goal.

Fitting it all into the goal

Note that all the tasks and subtasks that would go on to achieve the main target of the goal will all share the same trigger, conditions, and vision, and will each have a timeline that will fall within the timeline of the parent goal/task. The end result is a plan of action that is well broken down into detailed subtasks that are distinct and doable within their respective deadlines (the targeted end of their corresponding timeline), all fitting into the common goal.

Revisiting the goal

As we break down the tasks into concrete doable units, we get a clear idea of how achievable the goal is and how reasonable the overall timeline is. We know that each task/subtask of the plan of action should be completed within the timeline of the parent goal/task. Based on the breakdown of tasks, we may realize at times that we may even need to extend the timeline of the goal in order to make it realistic. At that point, we may also need to think about alternative ways of achieving the goal (instead of extending the timeline). At times, we may need to reconsider the validity of the goal itself, and in some cases even give up the goal if there is no practical way of achieving it or if there is no value in achieving it after the set timeline.

Flexibility in execution

Considering that you have laid out a detailed plan of action for the goal, you would have a clear roadmap to begin with. However, circumstances most often do not turn out as planned. As you proceed along your journey to the target, you would come across circumstances unplanned for and also hurdles unthought-of. You would need to handle these circumstances anyway, and think of ways in which to overcome hurdles as and when they show up. At times you may hit a dead-end, and need to change your plan and employ additional means to proceed. The path to the target should therefore be flexible, and it is best to always have a Plan B in mind at every step along the road.

A concluding note

It is said that if you have been there in your mind, you will most certainly be there in your body. Making a plan of action if about doing just that! It’s about going there in your mind, and noting down all the minor details that were observed as the mind made its journey. And once those details are laid out, the body is most certainly going to make it to the target. A detailed plan of action is thus a sure-fire way to achieving your goals.

I would like to dedicate an upcoming post to demonstrate through example how we can apply the Logical Way to setting goals, and then also make a plan of action to achieve the goal. I invite you to provide your suggestion on what goal you would like me to take up as an example, so be sure to leave me a comment and vote for your preferred goal. Let’s make your goal happen!