What Keeps Us on Track

Discipline and Accountability

Expecting to be productive without some kind of plan is almost impossible; so is having a plan and expecting things to happen without discipline and accountability. Discipline is basically taking control and staying in control of the tasks you need to accomplish. It is looking at your plan, deciding what needs to get done and not losing sight of the task. Being disciplined in your life can be one of your biggest challenges, next to procrastination. Discipline is a skill that has to be deveoped over time and is learned through assessing the end results of previous tasks. Similiarly, accountability can help you take responsibility for your actions, or for the actions involved with the tasks you are trying to accomplish. By owning your tasks, you can be more productive because you will be driven to complete what you start--knowing that you will be accountable for possible successess as well as failures.

The following article provides a very interesting perspective on discipline and accountability:

"Eight Steps to Becoming More Self-Disciplined" by The Green Sheet

A Practical Planning Example

Taking Advantage of Spring Break

In my last post, I provided some basic questions everyone can apply to almost any planning situation in order to spur productivity. It always helps to see the steps in action, so here's a personal example:

My husband and I purchased a vacation package through Hilton Hotels some time last year. About a month ago, we decided to take advantage of it before it expired, and we booked the package--a four day, three night stay at the Embassy Suites on International Drive South/Convention Center in Orlando. We wanted to have a balanced vacation of rest and activities, so we took the following steps:

• What exactly did we need to accomplish?--We wanted to use the vacation package before it expired, have fun, get some rest and come back refreshed from our trip. Because we had such a short amount of time to spend, we decided to devote one day to getting acquainted with our surroundings, one day for total play and one day for rest.
• Could we accomplish the task?--After looking at our resources, and some of the potential things to do in Orlando, we answered YES!
• Could we accomplish the task alone?--Well, we needed the help of AirTran to get down to Orlando, in lieu of driving. We decided that it would be a better use of our time to fly rather than drive. We also rented a car from Enterprise to get around town. We paid discounted rates on both the car and the flight.
• How much time did we have?--As already mentioned, we had three full days. Based on what we wanted to get done, we planned effectively.
• What resources did we need?--Money of course. We are avid budgeters, and we decided to place a spending cap on ourselves so that we didn't go overboard. We decided to spend a certain amount on food and other expenses every day.
• How much research was required?--Because we had an idea of what we wanted to do each day, we took some time about a week before the trip to visit Expedia's activity planner to see what was available to us. Although we didn't book online, we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do when we got there. Fortunately for us, we traveled during a rather slow season (about a week before the rush), and we were able to purchase tickets for the activities we wanted at the Hotel. We also checked the weather forecasts to make sure that we knew what to pack.

Voila, there was our trip. And, I must say that we had a very productive time! We accomplished our goals and came back refreshed. We didn't have to stick to a rigid itinerary to do it either; we just needed some time to plan and decide what we wanted to do. Below is me-- day two--enjoying the shade at Sea World.

Universal Planning Questions

Practical Planning Questions

While getting your plans in written form, here are some questions that could be applied to almost any planning situation.

1. What exactly do I need to accomplish?--This can be a simple definition of the task, or maybe even a goal statement that will help you measure your success at the end.
2. Can I accomplish the task?--If you answer no to this question, working on a plan will be pointless.
3. Can I accomplish the task alone?--If you can't, then you may need to list the names of others who can help you accomplish the task. At some point, you may also want to let them know that their help is needed while working on the plan.
4. How much time do I have?
5. What resources will I need to make things happen, and where will the resources come from?--I.e. money, vendors, employees, volunteers.
6. How much research is required?--This is usually huge! Research is always an integral part of any small or large project and usually saves us from making mistakes that have already been made by others.

As you document your ideas from your brainstorms, make sure you keep the questions above in mind. There are more, but at a basic level, you should start with these questions first.