Using a Strategic Planning Process to Get Healthier
New Year's resolutions had always been my annual ritual. Same goals, same treadmill drudgery, same disappointing results. A. Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting different results.” What if, I thought, I turned my consulting expertise and experience? Could strategic planning finally be the solution in getting healthier? With my notepad and a new insight, I explored my health goals like a nonprofit’s strategic planning process.
Here are some of the elements that I considered that are like strategic planning for an organization:
What do I hope for myself in the future? (vision)
What is my current health status? (current identity profile)
Who can be my support system? (community input)
How will I make decisions on my journey? (strategy screen)
What do I personally have that will ensure my success? (strategic advantages)
What strategies do I need to execute to reach my goal? (organizational, programmatic, and operational)
When building my personal road map, I found that a personal strategic plan and creating an organization’s strategic plan have much in common:
Both involve taking a step back and assessing the current situation.
Both require setting goals and creating a plan.
Both are about creating a positive and impactful change.
Both require strategies to reach goals.
Both are ongoing processes.
Both to be successful, need to be flexible and adaptable
Both take time.
Both can be rewarding for staying the course.
Both processes share valuable lessons about setting goals, managing resources, adapting to change, and staying consistent and motivated for the long term. The similarities between my personal roadmap and nonprofit strategic plans were more like each other than different: thorough analysis, setting clear goals, and a flexible approach. Both demanded self-reflection, planning, focus, and the capacity to pivot when life threw curveballs. Both are not sprints, more like a long run with an end in sight. Happy to report that my strategic “health” plan worked. The reward? Not just getting healthier, but a newfound confidence and energy that has changed every aspect of my life, and new headshots. The comparison might seem worlds apart, but their shared commonalities of self-reflection, planning, focus, and resilience, unlocked my success.