Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 237 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Your Life Plan Blueprint – Strategy Guidelines 6-10

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 237 of our Trek, and we are continuing on our current Trek Your Life Plan Blueprint. Two days ago we started our exploration of the third phase of the WESPER framework which is strategy. Yesterday we examined the first 5 guidelines for implementing an effective strategy, and today we will discover the remaining 5 guidelines. As you are creating your life plan that fulfills your life purpose, you must establish goals as part of your plan. Setting a goal does nothing by itself. Strategy is the core of your blueprint which enables you to do planning which leads to execution and review.

I am incorporating all of these daily concepts along with worksheets into an easy to use workbook, and I will let you know when it is complete so that you can download it. If you have any questions or would like additional information as we go through our daily trek, leave a comment on Wisdom-Trek.com or email me at guthrie@venturecg.com.  If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It started snowing about 2 pm Friday afternoon, and by the time it is finished on Saturday we should have between 6-9 inches. This was not the blizzard predicted for the eastern seaboard, but it is a very nice amount.

We met with our renovation contractors this week, and after how nice the two front rooms and downstairs hallway/foyer looked, we have decided to move forward with renovations on the upstairs hallway. My plans are to remove the ceiling tiles and wallpaper on Saturday so they can continue this next week. Here is a before picture.

Due to time and budget limitations, this will probably be the last area we renovate for a few months. Of course, I still have a lot of work to do refinishing the massive amount of woodwork and hardwood floors, which will take me well into springtime.

Let’s head on the trail for day eighteen of our Wisdom-Trek Life Plan process which we refer to as…

Your Life Plan Blueprint^©

Two days ago we explored three points about strategy which were:

• What is strategy?
• Strategy is underutilized.
• Develop your strategy.

Yesterday we examined the first 5 guidelines for creating an effective strategy which were:

1. Understand your goals thoroughly.

2. Pre-plan for obstacles so you can address them.

3. Identify the best route, but plan for alternatives.

4. Identify key activities or best actions for success.

5. Remain faithful and focused on your daily activity goals.

On our trail today, we will discover the remaining 5 guidelines for creating a successful strategy for any goal or objective that you set.

6. Do something different and something extra.

Even if you have tried some of your objectives and goals previously without success, using the Wisdom-Trek Your Life Plan Blueprint will allow you to approach the goals from a new perspective and mindset. This is required if you expect to be successful in creating your life plan. As the saying goes, “If nothing changes, then nothing changes.” Your Life Plan Blueprint is much more than a goal setting system. It is a life changing system. If you want to get different results, you need to do something different. By adopting the Wisdom-Trek system with the WESPER framework, you are taking action to do something different and something extra. You are proactive on setting a strategy and taking responsibility for your life.

7. Make use of new resources.

Although there are many goal setting programs and philosophies available, few, if any, incorporate the core framework of Your Life Plan Blueprint. Most systems look at goals as isolated events with little thought of how each goal ties into your overall life plan to fulfill your purpose in life. The core WESPER framework is a cycle that takes you through obtaining Wisdom, Establishing objective and activity goals, creating a Strategy, which ties into Planning, Execution, and Review. This is not a one-time occurrence but a life process for each of the 7 areas of your life. The primary reason that we focus on a 7-year timeframe within the cycle of Your Life Plan Blueprint is to allow you to adjust your plan for the different seasons of your life.

8. Leverage your environment and experiences.

Your environment and experiences guide your actions and behaviors and can be leveraged to support you in your goal and life plan pursuit.

Since most of our decisions and thought patterns are based on our current environment coupled with our past experiences, let me ask this question, “How can you use your existing environment and past experiences to assist in the support of your goals? Do you need to modify your environment to help you in achieving your primary objectives and activity goals?”

You can’t change your past. All you can do is to apply its lessons to your life today. You may need to change your environment, though, so that you can reach your 7-year objectives. This will allow you to fulfill your purpose as part of your life plan. As you start analyzing your environment, you will find there are actually many ways you can change it or leverage it more effectively. Don’t allow yourself to be jailed by past thinking patterns or constraints. Take the shackles off and immerse yourself in environments to help you complete your activity goals, which support your long-term objectives. This will allow you to fulfill your life purpose and plan. It is then you will be living a rich and satisfying life.

9. Develop your skills.

To completely fulfill your purpose in life, it may require that you gain new or upgrade your skills. Assess your current skills, and determine what improvements are needed to complete the daily tasks which tie to your weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.  If needed, build the steps to gain these skills into your strategy as part of Your Life Plan Blueprint. 

10. Create accountability.

Create accountability on two levels. The first level is accountability toward yourself, which we will discuss in the last step of the WESPER framework review.

The second level is extending accountability beyond yourself. Choose people that will hold you accountable for your results. These individuals may very well be the same people that invested time with you at the beginning of the process as you were seeking wisdom and insight. Another option is to encourage a friend or family member to start their own Your Life Plan Blueprint, and you can trek together on the journey. Although you may not be on the exact same paths, you can both experience the joys and challenges of the plan and become accountability partners.

It is good to have an accountability partner, and I do encourage it. But at the end of the day, remember your goals and plans are your responsibility solely and success depends only on you. Never abdicate your responsibility. Ultimately we are personally responsible to God for our progress.

Hebrews 4:13 – Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

On our trek today, we explored the remaining five guidelines to develop your life plan strategy with the WESPER framework. The strategies you develop will form the foundation which your goal plan will be built upon. These strategies are like the individual pages of your overall life blueprint. Tomorrow we will begin exploring the 4^th step in the WESPER framework, which is planning. We are hiking the trail with fortitude as we lay the foundation and build Your Life Plan Blueprint. This framework integrates into our concept of Wisdom-Trek as we look at life as a trek, taking one step at a time. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our podcast for today. As you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, I encourage you to help us promote Wisdom-Trek in the following four ways:

1. Leave us feedback about the podcast on Wisdom-Trek.com so we can continually improve.
2. On your smartphone, subscribe on iTunes, GooglePlay, Spreaker, Soundcloud or Stitcher, so the podcast will be downloaded to you automatically each day.
3. On your computer or if you have an iPhone or iPad, leave us a rating and review on iTunes.
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Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!