Wow! We have come so far together.
By now, you should have a high quality draft plan (completed in Step 23). You hopefully are starting to get constructive feedback from your Board of Advisors (Step 25). You have taken the plan to the next level by creating your Magnificent Milestones (Step 26). And you have begun identifying your support structures with your selection of an All Star Support Team (Step 27) and your scheduling of Supporting Events (Step 28) you plan to attend in 2012.
Before our final celebratory step tomorrow, I want to ask that you do just one more thing. I want to ask that you pile on even more support for yourself. You either have or will soon have your All Star Support Team and your Supporting Events. But, because life can be bumpy, I want you to add in yet a third level of support.
Your success with your plan in 2012 is as much a function of the support that you put in place as it is even the quality of your plan. Please, please, please put in place the depth of support that will enable you to quickly get back on track as soon as you fall off track. And, all of us – no matter how well disciplined we are – are capable of falling off track from time to time.
Your third level of support is to add physical items that will be constant reminders of what you have committed to accomplish in 2012.
What kinds of things will serve as an effective reminder for you? For some, it could be the creation of a dream board or vision board (a collage of images of things you want to accomplish in 2012). For others, it could be a theme song. For others, it might be the selection of a mantra that you might post in a conspicuous place.
What will work best for anyone of us is different for each of us. So, I can’t be more specific as to what to put in place as effective reminders for you.
Just to get your mind thinking of possibilities, I will share with you some of my support elements. I do so not to suggest that you should do the same. I just want you to open your mind to a wide range of support elements.
Because I am such a visual person, I carry with me a leather portfolio that has 8½ x 11 cards that are laminated (for protection because of all the use that they get) and contains key elements of my personal plan. In addition there are pages with items like my personal Success Creed, the lyrics from the song “The Prayer,” a list of Debbie Ford’s terrific Spiritual Antidotes, and a list of Dan Sullivan’s fabulous Laws of Lifetime Growth. I have a laminated listing of the phone numbers for all of my All Star Support Team. I have a listing of role models that I have chosen for each of the items of importance in my plan. And the portfolio includes depictions of some of the biz models I use to drive my various businesses. All in all, there are twenty of these double sided laminated cards. (I leave little to chance; the cards are on green stock to emphasize the “GO” image that works for me.)
When I am home, the leather portfolio sits atop the desk in my office. And, it travels with me as I crisscross the country to serve my consulting clients. The point is that my plan is not gathering dust on a shelf…I carry it with me all the time. And, I regularly study it for it is my roadmap for success.
My freinds chuckle at my laminated cards, but they have long served me very, very. very well. (And, made me good friends at FedEx/Kinkos where they have inudustrial strength laminating machines.)
Providing additional back-up support is my monthly reading of Success Magazine. I am a huge believer in this magazine, and I love the accompanying CD that, every month, contains helpful interviews with successful people from all walks of life.
You probably will not be surprised to know that I support myself with a theme song – Step by Step by the fabulous Michael W. Smith. I wear out this CD…and I mean that literally. (You can watch Michael perform this song on video here.)
I could go and on. What you hopefully are beginning to understand is that I surround myself with items that are constant reminders of what I am trying to accomplish. If and when I find myself getting bumped off the rail (plan), I am surrounded by powerful reminders and images that help me to quickly get back on track.
The size and quality of your All Star Support Team, of your list of Support Events, and of Support Elements will have a HUGE impact on your ability to turn your 2012 Plan into reality…to achieve the success that you deserve in light of your incredible strengths.
This last step before our celebration tomorrow can be easy one to put off. Please don’t. Start putting in place the support you deserve. As just one example, for only $30 you can subscribe to Success Magazine and get twelve monthly reminders of the success you deserve (plus a whole lot of wisdom). For a buck, you can download an uplifting theme song to your IPhone. (Heck, at no cost you can subscribe to this blog so as to get support throughout the year. 
)
Remember, the more support you have around you in 2012, the more likely you will be to keep ongoing, even in the face of adversity. And, all of us will encounter some adversity in 2012. What you want to do is build in support levels before adversity happens. You want the support levels to cushion the blows promptly. You don’t want to just wait to you hit adversity and then hopefully have the presence of mind to go get the right support.
Well, there you have it. As a result of your diligence in following this step-by-step process, you have a thoughtful plan and hopefully you now have in place three levels of tremendous support. Tomorrow, we will celebrate together. Don’t miss my final message for you.
Then on New Year’s eve, I look forward to celebrating your significant accomplishment of creating an inspiring personal plan for 2012, one that includes Magnificent Milestones, an All Star Support Team and some events to help you accelerate your success.
The finish line is just one step away. Finish strong and finish in style.
When you have completed Step 29, you can access the final step here .
Please note: If you have arrived at this step first, it is not too late for you to join other high performers who are collaborating to follow the bite size steps that are unveiled here every day. Get started here.
This blog post was written by Dave Carpenter. Dave is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog, Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant. If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.
