Opportunity Knocks. Will You Answer?
Presenting the Opportunity Knocks EZine

Produced by

Tim Johnson
and
No Time Lost Enterprises

Volume 1, Issue 9
April 23, 2001

Welcome to the OK-EZine! Presented here are ideas, concepts, strategies and tactics for those ready to embrace the New, the Daring and the Possibilities.

Feedback is always welcome. Please send all comments to timj@notimelost.com. Positive and Negative are welcome.

Who are three people who would like to read this EZine? Please pass this EZine along to them. If you have received it from a friend, formal subscribe and unsubscribe information is at the end of the message.

CONTENTS:

1.) Power Thought - Imagine where you would be...

2.) Featured Website - Dreamlife.com

3.) Main Article - Creating an Action Plan

4.) Subscribe/Unsubscribe Info

1.) Power Thought - Imagine where you would be...

"Imagine where you would be, and it will be so." I absolutely love this quote. Anyone know who said it?

I don't know for sure if it was lifted from someone else for the movie, but it comes to me from Gladiator.

Yep. Gladiator. Which I think is a great movie about heroes, coincidentally.

To me this means you have to create your vision and goals in your head FIRST. You have to think about it. You have to live it, breathe it and become it in your mind and heart before the body creates it.

Lasting success is no accident. No one accidentally MAKES (not wins) a fortune. No one accidentally does what they love. No one accidentally leads others to success.

"Imagine where you would be, and it will be so."

2.) Featured Website - Dreamlife.com

This is Tony Robbins' online training site. There is a wealth of free online courses, coaching, forums and other resources. Definitely a lot to go through, but it is organized into 6 categories and can be explored a chunk at a time. When you join for free, you give some info on yourself, but in the year I have been a member, I have yet to receive junk mail. It's well worth the time to explore and try out a course or two.

3.) Main Article - Creating an Action Plan

You can qualify people into 3 groups. Achievers, Planners/Dreamers and Drifters.

Drifters do just that. They drift from place to place in life. Job to job. Relationship to relationship. They may find a permanent place or relationship, but they probably will be unsure of how they got there or why.

Planners/Dreamers know WHERE they want to go, they just don't know HOW to get there. They often have big dreams and goals. They probably can tell you in some detail the things they want and show you their goals list. But ask them how they will achieve those goals and the eyes get kind of glassy. No idea. Sometimes they have a vague idea of the vehicle they want to use, but have no roadmap or idea how to start it.

Achievers on the other hand (3 hands?) pretty much always know know where they are going AND how they are getting there. Generally knowing the how gets them pretty excited. Excited enough to put together an Action Plan and execute it.

Ahhhhhh. The magic word: EXECUTE. To put into motion in this case. Ironically it can also mean to apply a little juice to jumpstart your plans.

So what is an action plan? Simple. It is a list of the things you MUST do in order to acheive your goals. It is a set of milestones along the way to your goals and a list of steps to take to get to the milestones.

Once you have done your vision and goals, you know the where, correct? But maybe you aren't sure how to get started. Put yourself into your vision, imagining your goals already achieved. Really get into this. Now let's list the things you need to be in order to get there.

Do you need to be a skilled salesman? A great athlete? On time or early? What skills are required? What do you need to have? What are the personal habits that are necessary? Education? Relationships? Mentors? Confidants and advisors?

Each item on the list can be acquired or instilled in you. Surprisingly it is pretty easy to figure out how to do that too. For instance, say you need to gain the skills to design websites. How do you do that? You can start by reading some beginners' books on the subject. Take a class. Get some practice.

Say you need to have the regular advice of a tax expert. You can hire a tax CPA or lawyer, or you can go to any of their public professional meeting to  network with them. Develop friendships and maybe some partnerships.

A mentor? Find someone who has built success doing what you want and cultivate a friendship and let it grow naturally. Don't push the mentoring. Get to know the person and then ask.

As a matter of fact, that is how you get the use of ANYONE as a resource for your future success. Get to know them, befriend them and you will be surprised at what happens.

After doing this, see if anything still needs some more steps added. Maybe you need to learn how to network before you can befriend all these strangers.

Perhaps a little research into exercise and weight loss before you start exercising to lose that 40 lbs.

Once the list is complete, try to prioritize it and also to put it in a relative order of what needs to be done first, second, third, etc.

Now work on item #1. Finish it before moving to #2 (unless appropriate or #2 needs to be started before #1 can be finished). Keep focused on the Action Plan.

Don't deviate from it except to check to see if you are still going where you thought and that this is the road that will take you there.

It's OK to look around to make sure you are still working on the things that you want and that will make you happy. Don't pursue the plan because you think you have to. If it needs to be changed, then do it quickly and decisively. And don't be afraid to change it as often as necessary.

Thanks and God Bless.

Tim Johnson
timj@notimelost.com