What do a baseball legend, a classic novelist and you have in common? Everything if you think of direction.
The question that I was asked was simple: How do you know if your life isn’t going anywhere? I immediately flashed on the quote from Yogi Berra: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you will probably end up somewhere else.” And I shared it.
Then another quote came to mind from Lewis Carrol, I believe it was in Alice in Wonderland, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
We all need direction. It may be something we follow from a trusted mentor or something that drives us from our inner being. So, what do a baseball legend, a classic novelist and all of us have in common? A need for direction.
This applies to everything we do. Whether we are planning a big event or picking up the cell phone to chat with a friend. We need to know the why’s and how’s. Otherwise, we are just spinning our wheels, right? And direction can come in the time it takes to breathe.
The point here is simple: if you have a plan—or a map or a goal—you have something to measure your progress against. If you are looking to measure your life’s progress? What are you trying to accomplish? Are you trying to attract folks to your event or educate someone on your issues? What information do you need to convey?
Do we see our colleagues and friends do this? All the time! Look at the one’s you think are successful. Do they seem driven? What from? A goal? A vision? When they invest time, is it to move toward that goal or vision? You bet!
In communications, having a plan is just as important. Don’t get me wrong here. A plan can simply be, “I need to call Mary and discuss the menu for Sunday’s dinner.” It might also be a bit more complicated, “We need to get the word out on our event. I’m thinking a full PR and social media push using the three key points we are pushing in our brochure.” The plan puts your intent into action.
I invite you to download the eBook: 3 Magic Questions to Instantly Improve Your Communications. It’s a quick read chocked full of examples and exercises that will help all of us be more effective in our daily communications – online and in the real world.