Sometimes we can get good advice and direction from outside sources and it will work very well for us. There are other times we have to come up with our own plans and journey maps because what we are setting out to accomplish is too personal in nature to fit into a generic format or one size fits all structure.
One of the most frustrating occurrences in any personal improvement or goal setting endeavor comes when you start out at the gate with a great attitude and plenty of passion and energy; only to get to the first quarter of the path and fizzle out or even give up. This is a very common occurrence because it is easy from the start to think that if we just buckle down and work the program and have strict discipline we can get through anything. But usually, this means that the plan or structure was not geared toward you in mind but someone else who has different energy levels, interests, a different coping style, drive, etc.
Now you can still use anyone else's template or original ideas to create your own plan; but just don't skip the very important step of tweaking it to your own needs and energy levels. We can feel at times that to change any plan that has been successful for others is sacrilegious; but the truth is in order to succeed we have to adapt it to our own set of parameters and style because we will be the ones working it. This is very important because you can see for yourself that most people can easily be talked into a fad diet plan or money scheme when we don't take our own needs into account and just go with someone else's flow.
So, in order to create your own plan the important thing to remember is figuring out your own style, goals, timelines, resources and any other pertinent facts that only you know about yourself. You can find these things out by journaling and being an observer of your life and paying attention to your likes and dislikes over a few months time. Then you need to know your limits also; it does you no good to implement a "military like" program when you know it kills you to get out of bed before 10 a.m. each morning. And the same goes if you know you will not stick to some unyielding timed deadlines; then give yourself some freedom to finish your goals in a less structured or strict time schedule.
Once you get the hang of it this exercise will help you manage some other areas of your life, good luck and happy trails to you!
