Off the Paper, Into Reality Pt.2: Implementation

In the last post we explored the concept of formulation, which for the purpose of this series, is the first stage in getting your plans off the paper and into reality. In this post we’re going to explore the concept of implementation.

Implementation, quite simply put is the process of putting a plan into effect. It is the process of executing. I think we have all found ourselves at a place where our plans are fully laid out but for some reason, we are unable to put those plans into effect. Even business have found that they may have plans but implementing those plans is another ball game. That’s because Implementation is considered to be the most difficult stage in strategic planning from a business perspective. Could it be the same from a personal life perspective too?

If I were to be honest with myself and think about my biggest weaknesses, bridging the gap between planning and executing would definitely be one of them. It is something that has been hard for me for a very long time. Often, I fail to get past the adrenaline rush of having good plans and into the process of implementing those plans. It’s something that I’ve had to work on in order for me to be a little more action and less words.

The truth is, plans sound and feel exciting when we are making them. It always feels good to have plans of starting a new project, a new financial discipline goal or a new workout plan. These things sound exciting when we are thinking about the result and what it would feel like to get to where we want to get to. Might I add that they sound way better than the execution part of things. Lord knows few find pleasure in the execution part and almost no one thinks it’s always fun. 

 When it comes to Implementation, the most important thing is probably taking our long-term goals and breaking it down into shorter term objectives. Life experience has proven to me that there is no such thing as overnight success. And if there is, consider it to happen as often as a total solar eclipse. For the majority of things, however, they require time, consistent effort and attention. The question of how much of each of those you need to put in is entirely up to you and what’s healthy for you. 

The best way that I can define a short-term objective in this context is small goals that when added up contribute to achieving your main, big goal. It could look like, for the person who just started a new financial discipline goal, breaking down the sum of money you wish to save in a year into what you would need to save in a week, month or quarter in order to achieve that big goal. The result of doing this is not a 100% guarantee but it’s definitely less of a burden to take huge goals and break them up into smaller goals. This may of course look different for different people with things such as resources and the frequency of those resources considered.

Implementation is an action stage and it’s the most difficult stage because of the commitment, sacrifice and personal discipline that it requires. It requires one to be faithful to his/her commitment. There has been a new wave of people that now don’t believe in new year’s resolutions, and you just might be one of them. In trying to understand why this has become a thing, it was very easy to point at the success rate or lack thereof of these resolutions. I don’t think the problem is with the goals themselves that people set at the beginning of the year. I think the problem lies in the inability to break down those goals and be faithful to them. According to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals, while around 80% fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions, says US clinical psychologist Joseph Luciani. It is clear for most to see that making plans is only one half or maybe even a quarter of the equation.

While there’s all this talk of committing to our plans, when we think of implementation and the process of executing our plans, we also have to be careful not to forget that we are human, and we will have bad days, unproductive days, days or weeks when we are not feeling our best etc. and that’s okay! I feel like we have been indoctrinated with the idea that wherever we have to go, we have to get there as quick as possible at all costs. But this idea doesn’t apply to most things, to anything if I could argue. This idea is not practical. 

In industries where most of the executing Is done mostly by machinery, it’s understanding to expect things to run smoothly with little or no hiccups. But when we talk of us as humans, it’s a whole different ball game. We were not wired to operate like machines, and we should never feel like we have to. I think this is the reason why these days, productivity theories that borrow directly from the age of industrialization are becoming unpopular. Because those theories borrowed ideas that were designed for machines and tried to make them apply directly to human life. Thinking about this now, it is even shocking that many of us, myself included, thought that this was sustainable. As if life as human beings wasn’t hard enough, we tried to take on responsibilities that are primarily designed for machines. 

Implementation activities, being the most difficult, will always need to be revised and refined. With being faithful and committed, I implore you to also allow yourself to move at a steady pace and continue learning from your experiences. I implore you to also have like-minded people to help you on this journey, because it will be tough, and you will need all the help you can get. Most importantly, let God go before you, guiding you in the way that you may proceed. Godspeed. 

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Hey! Thanks for reading this post. Im really excited about this new series! I hope you have enjoyed it so far! I’m interested in hearing what your thoughts are so please leave a comment below. Also if you liked this post please consider leaving a like and subscribe to the blog for more! See you in the next one!

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