Secrets Of Success: ‘Plan A’ People

'A' is for 'Success'

What is a ‘Plan A’ person?  And why do we need to be ‘Plan A’ people if we are looking for success in our lives and in our businesses?  And, perhaps most importantly of all, how do we become a ‘Plan A’ person?

Of all the secrets of success out there, being a ‘Plan A’ person is perhaps one of the most fundamental of all. So what is a ‘Plan A’ person, and how can you tell if you are being a ‘Plan A’ person in every area of your life?

First, let me define what a ‘Plan A’ person is: Richard, a good friend of mine and one of the best examples of a ‘Plan A’ person that I know, puts it like this: “A ‘Plan A’ person is a person who’s plan B is that plan A works”. Simple. No ‘if’s', no ‘buts’  and definitely no plan B. Plan A works. Full stop.

But what does this mean and why is it so crucial to success? Well, first off, you had better make sure that you have a Plan A, because there is no plan B. And because there is no plan B, you better make sure that plan A is  a good one. Important lesson number 1: Have a good plan.

Secondly, if you only have one plan, it makes it easy when you get to the bumps in the road. Every now and then, life gets a little rocky, and when you come face to face with that obstacle, one of life’s little stumbling blocks, if you have more than one plan, you have more than one choice.  And so you will stop to consider your choices and ponder on the best route to take going forwards. You will be side-tracked, waylaid, at best you will waste time, more often, you will stall, never to get going again. We know that when we take our eyes off the prize, life has a habit of coming between us and what we desire and bingo, before we know it, the road is just too rocky and so we quit. If you only have one plan, you will do whatever it takes to go over, under, round or plain blast straight through that rock because Plan A is to reach your goal, and there is no Plan B. Important lesson number 2: Stick to the plan.

Lastly, if we only have one plan, Important lesson number 3 becomes a no-brainer: Don’t change the plan. We can’t change the plan because we have nothing to change it to! Plan B is that Plan A works, remember?

Great, so being a ‘Plan A’ person is important. But how can we tell if we are ‘Plan A’ people, and what can we do to change if we recognise that we are not?

How can you tell if you are being a ‘Plan A’ person? Divide your life into categories, work, home, lifestyle, and close your eyes. Now ask yourself this one question: “When did I last make a definite decision about something in this area of my life. And when was the last time I changed my mind?” As Napoleon Hill famously once said: ”Successful people make decisions quickly and change them slowly, if at all”.   Now be honest and apply this question to every area of your life. You may find that the results surprise you. Which area of your life is going best? Is that because Plan A is working? Whether by default or design, very likely it is.

So how do you become a ‘Plan A’ person if you are currently a Plan B, Plan C, D or even E person? Success breeds success as they say. And likewise, ‘Plan A’ people breed ‘Plan A’ people. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet, so I don’t even think there is even a term that describes me before I made the conscious decision to become a ‘Plan A’ person. By making friends with, doing business with, reading the same books as, following the same strategies as, emulating and basically ‘being’ the ‘Plan A’ person that you have decided to become, you will be amazed at how quickly the only Plan B that you have is that Plan A works.

To sum up, the 3 secrets of success to becoming a ‘Plan A’ person in your life are:  Have a plan; Stick to the plan; Don’t change the plan. Become a Plan A person – starting now!

Wishing you every success in life and business

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