End ResultSample

Prepare Thoroughly

One of Stephen Covey’s seven habits, ‘begin with the end in mind’ signals a fundamental principle involved in achieving your goals; preparation is a pre-requisite for performance. Where there is a slip in preparation, there is invariably a lapse in performance and vice versa. The more stretched the goal, the more the level of preparedness required. Scheduling time for thinking through the elements, documenting the multifarious components and reviewing the details of the plan will help ensure there are no major slips in the execution.

During a critical year end with significantly stretched revenue targets, I adopted a multi-tiered planning process encompassing focused prayer, comprehensive communication, listing diverse deliveries, detailing inter-dependencies, carving out milestones, fixing accountabilities, thinking through contingencies and instituting checkpoints and managing points. This ensured, what initially appeared to be impossible targets, to be achieved. Often the compulsions of the near term results runs the risk of clouding the allocation of time and effort in planning. I had to desist the temptation to jump in and act; the time spent on planning ensured elimination of time spent on rework later.

Failure to prepare is preparing to fail! God almost always expects human effort. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was tasked with tilling the garden (Gen 2:15); in the pre-Exodus, God instructed Noah to build the Ark to specifications (6:8-22); in the post Exodus, Moses was guided to erect the Tabernacle to specifications (Ex 25-30; 35-40) − all of which called for preparation. Human efforts plus divine intervention is the winning formula. While divine interpolation can, and at times, supersede human labour, God largely endorses rather than eliminates human effort.

Results are always a function of rigorous planning and meticulous execution. Prayer often is a powerful component of the planning phase. Relying merely on God to act in the absence of your initiative will not work. Ensure your plan is comprehensive, consistent and coordinated and He will sharpen your mind, strengthen your hands and straighten your paths to ensure you achieve your results.

Father God, You structured Your creation in a well thought through manner, working for six days and resting on the seventh. Enable me to desist all distractions and focus on detailing a well-prepared high impact plan. Amen