So, October was Organize month...which came and went. That means I was never organized enough to actually do something there!
Tuesday and Wednesday I have off so I am going to go back over the month, look at my goals for the month and see if I was able to accomplish them. I usually post them in my first post on the forums here, so I can go back and track them. I hope I like what I find!
I also came to a realization the other day. I am working on having the first issue of a small series of books head to the publisher this month. It struck me that one of my goals for the year of 2009 was to publish one more book. What is funny is that I was not even thinking on this goal. I was actually just zeroed in on this project that, when it was conceived, had so much rapport with me that I jumped at it immediately.
I cannot tell if it had rapport with me because I had set that annual goal, or if the annual goal came from my inner drive to write. Who knows? Who cares! It is happening, and I am glad to know that an annual goal got knocked out.
So, we are in the throws of November. I titled October the month of Organization in my own life. The month of November is the month of Necessary Planning. Why, you may ask.
I have found that, in many cases, November finds most people rallying for the Thanksgiving. Though people take time for Thanksgiving, we as a nation seem to use it as a transition to Christmas. Very few REALLY slow down and enjoy Thanksgiving. Productivity seems to drop as we slowly approach the end of the month, and, suddenly, the December Race occurs.
December is a bustle! From Black Friday on, gifts need to be purchased and wrapped; taxes need to be completed; family needs to be called, visited, considered; work vacation is negotiated over...and somewhere in this madness we try to find spare moments to master plan our next year.
Hello! Its master planning the year. Hopefully we are doing it with plenty of "big picture" time, no distractions, prayerfully, conscientiously, reviewing the previous years for ways to grow. This takes time people!
It is for this that I used to want to name it Distracted December. I have toned that nastiness down a little bit to December Downtime. I think that I should let you all off the hook and allow you to let December be what it is. As productive people, we want to achieve goals, but not at the expense of family and relationships. December will simply have its ups and downs.
So, when should we do our planning? November's Necessary Planning month, people. At least, it will be for me. (My birthday is also in November, so its kinda like my fiscal year!) Use this month to start reviewing the year.
What goals did you set for the year?
How many have you accomplished?
Did you keep that momentum throughout the months goal-setting and implementation?
What caused some of the fall through? (Check your journal entries, your SuccessFit entries, or blogs to track down some of the distractions.
How can you learn from it for the next year?
Then, go back to your REAL Big Picture. (What you want your life to have looked like at the end of it!)
Remind yourself of those goals. For me, I want to be remembered as one who Activated and Equipped, Motivated and Inspired, accomplishing this through the arenas of Writing and Missions. (This has evolved over time, and I also have a whole master strategy to it. More on that another time.)
From there, come back and ask yourself, what do I need to accomplish in the next 2-3 years for that to be a reality?
Then ask what you would need to accomplish in 2010 to be heading that direction.
Simple. But it does take time (if you are doing it right!)
As I have been doing this over the years, my planning habits have evolved. I know that I have a running tally of things I want to see accomplished every year. I also have a Legacy Life Vision (that took me a while to create, especially one that I was thoroughly and completely satisfied with.)
And, seriously, I have missed a TON of deadlines. But, I shrug it off with the thought of where I would be without any goals and deadlines.
A Plan Is What We Do Until We Have a Better Plan
So, I adjust the deadline, and press on!
I digress. That is the November of Necessary Planning. Get on it. Do not hesitate. The next time you have 3-4 hrs before work, or a few before bed, sit down and go over your goals and dream about 2010. If you do not have those, go to the homepage and download our Top 100 document to get you down the path of goal-setting and planning your life!
If you have any questions, just ask!
3-2-1 GO!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
History of America's Donation Mindset
I love Charity Navigator. From the beginning of our organization (CPIHaiti.org), we have modeled our internal standards of performance based on Charity Navigator's rating system. They are the best guide to intelligent giving.
Through a Tweet from @CharityNav, they showed a time line of giving in America. Or, at least a breakdown of the key events in the mindset of America regarding giving.
The thing I found most interesting is that it shares that in Democracy in America (by Alexis de Tocqueville from his legendary trip to the U.S. in 1835), Philanthropy is hailed as one of America's top traits. This mirrors Peter Drucker's opinion that the nonprofit organization (the organized form of philanthropy)is the apex of American society.
Other highlights of humanitarianism in the united states of America:
The world's first community foundation
Philanthropic giving is usually a majority of individual givers, out-donating foundations, corporations and funds
A possible motive for the founding of the Rockefeller Foundation
View it at CharityNavigator.org.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Exponential Growth by Incremental Work
I recently consulted two young people who had an AWESOME idea for a humanitarian service.
It was the best idea I had heard of in quite a while. They came to me to learn how to launch their project. I have some experience in launching nonprofits over the years and they needed some guidance.
I love innovators; creative individuals who put together new and exciting ideas that can serve others.
This dynamic duo had done just that. They already had the correct mindset of successful people; opulent, abundance-minded, and service-oriented. Yet, there was one problem.
They tried to consume the entire thing at once. They didn't take it one bite at a time.
The trouble with many start-ups (humanitarian, non-profit OR for-profit) is that few get going with the concept of incremental growth.
Exponential Expectations
Many entrepreneurs are idealists. They see the glass as half-OVERFLOWING. They love the challenges involved.
These are great traits to have. Further, I doubt a start up will ever turn over their engine without them! However, it is a commitment to longevity that I have found gets a mission on the road to long-term success.
The problem with entrepreneurial idealists (humanitariansl i.e. you AND me) is that we expect exponential growth immediately.
I have never found this to be true. I DO believe in exponential growth. I ALSO believe that it will be based on a foundation, and foundations, I have found, are built incrementally.
Creating Credibility
Humanitarians, more specifically, DEVELOPMENT humanitarians, rely strongly on good will. That means that, in exchange for donors' good will (their donations), they will be seeking and searching for credibility. They want to know that their investment will bear a return. (That return being credible results in your service.)
Credibility can be felt. And lack of credibility stinks. People can smell a fly-by-night from a mile away.
What does it take to build credibility? Incremental growth. A strong foundation.
A millionaire I worked for called it being "a twenty-year overnight success." He was implying that what the world views as an overnight success is actually the result of incremental growth and foundation building over the long term.
Translation
Plan on the long term. I definitely believe that it takes at least a year of planning and preparation before you make your first peep about what you intend to do. Only then will you have the infrastructure in place to make good on promises (and build credibility.)
Do the nitty-gritty tasks that you keep hoping to recruit someone else for.
In terms of our organization, I spent the last year doing short trips to Haiti, some of them alone with no fanfare. No bands welcomed me. Now donations showered upon me.
Even more, it has taken almost 4 years of sowing, sowing, sowing resources into the field and into our own self-education about what Haiti takes. All this took place before I even showed up!
BUT, exponential growth DOES show up overnight. Just now we are seeing e-mail after e-mail asking for more info. New twitter follower after new twitter follower keep adding us. New church partnerships show up.
We see the years of incremental growth. All they see is a semi-finished organization, which happens to look and act exponential.
So, can you get exponential growth? Absolutely.
When will it come? After you have put in the diligence of incremental growth.
What will happen if you skip the incremental growth? You will get a flash-in-the pan success with little-to-no longevity. This works for the person who initiated it, but has very little lasting benefit for others involved.
Dig in. Plan on the long term. (This demands commitment, so count the cost!)
It was the best idea I had heard of in quite a while. They came to me to learn how to launch their project. I have some experience in launching nonprofits over the years and they needed some guidance.
I love innovators; creative individuals who put together new and exciting ideas that can serve others.
This dynamic duo had done just that. They already had the correct mindset of successful people; opulent, abundance-minded, and service-oriented. Yet, there was one problem.
They tried to consume the entire thing at once. They didn't take it one bite at a time.
The trouble with many start-ups (humanitarian, non-profit OR for-profit) is that few get going with the concept of incremental growth.
Exponential Expectations
Many entrepreneurs are idealists. They see the glass as half-OVERFLOWING. They love the challenges involved.
These are great traits to have. Further, I doubt a start up will ever turn over their engine without them! However, it is a commitment to longevity that I have found gets a mission on the road to long-term success.
The problem with entrepreneurial idealists (humanitariansl i.e. you AND me) is that we expect exponential growth immediately.
I have never found this to be true. I DO believe in exponential growth. I ALSO believe that it will be based on a foundation, and foundations, I have found, are built incrementally.
Creating Credibility
Humanitarians, more specifically, DEVELOPMENT humanitarians, rely strongly on good will. That means that, in exchange for donors' good will (their donations), they will be seeking and searching for credibility. They want to know that their investment will bear a return. (That return being credible results in your service.)
Credibility can be felt. And lack of credibility stinks. People can smell a fly-by-night from a mile away.
What does it take to build credibility? Incremental growth. A strong foundation.
A millionaire I worked for called it being "a twenty-year overnight success." He was implying that what the world views as an overnight success is actually the result of incremental growth and foundation building over the long term.
Translation
Plan on the long term. I definitely believe that it takes at least a year of planning and preparation before you make your first peep about what you intend to do. Only then will you have the infrastructure in place to make good on promises (and build credibility.)
Do the nitty-gritty tasks that you keep hoping to recruit someone else for.
In terms of our organization, I spent the last year doing short trips to Haiti, some of them alone with no fanfare. No bands welcomed me. Now donations showered upon me.
Even more, it has taken almost 4 years of sowing, sowing, sowing resources into the field and into our own self-education about what Haiti takes. All this took place before I even showed up!
BUT, exponential growth DOES show up overnight. Just now we are seeing e-mail after e-mail asking for more info. New twitter follower after new twitter follower keep adding us. New church partnerships show up.
We see the years of incremental growth. All they see is a semi-finished organization, which happens to look and act exponential.
So, can you get exponential growth? Absolutely.
When will it come? After you have put in the diligence of incremental growth.
What will happen if you skip the incremental growth? You will get a flash-in-the pan success with little-to-no longevity. This works for the person who initiated it, but has very little lasting benefit for others involved.
Dig in. Plan on the long term. (This demands commitment, so count the cost!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)