The Life You’ve Wanted Starts With A Plan
Part 1 – The 2 Pieces of the Puzzle You Need Most
The Process that changed me forever
I’ve held a career in information systems (I.S.) and technology (I.T.) for more than 17 years. Early in my career I was on a project working for the company now known as AT&T. Our teams had a plan to execute and we were determined to 
complete the goals requested. To our surprise the project was canceled midstream. This was odd; all the work was going as planned. Then out of nowhere, it seemed, we were asked to discontinue the work. This first experience in understanding a process known as “the system development life cycle” (SDLC) became one that would transform my life forever. It’s my desire to share with you what I learned from that experience and hopefully have this same process change your life as well.
It would be foolish for me not to have picked up some useful tools that can help promote my life in the same manner that the companies I’ve worked for have been transformed. In the project I mentioned earlier, the greatest takeaway that I still use today actually came at the beginning of the projects. Here I am fresh out of college and the very 1st lesson might just be the greatest lesson of my life time.
You can’t accomplish anything without these 2 pieces of the puzzle.
Here’s what I learned. In any project, you wish to accomplish, there are only two things you need to know. Without these 2 pieces, you’ll never accomplish anything great, at least on purpose. They are…
- Present state. The present state simply states where you are right now. Come to grips with what the state of the situation is. In your case, what’s the state of your home? Your career? Your academic pursuits? Your relationships? Your family make up? Your religious aspirations?
- Desired future state. The word “desired” is the key word. It’s what you wish or dream to have in any situation. Knowing what you desire is the driving force of any project. Without this there is no drive to accomplish anything. For example, if you want to replace your old car, the drive is a newer car or the drive could be no more car payments. You must have a desire in order to have progress.
Combine these 2 pieces and you know what you have? A reason for a project. We use projects and project plans to accomplish everything: improving how we shop, renovating our home, planning our daughter’s birthday party, or how we make our Christmas holiday special for all.
Once we’ve identified the current state and desired future state, the next step is to get started. The distance between the two is the work you must complete. Delaying is not an option. Having the money in hand isn’t a prerequisite. In fact, I believe the money won’t be available until the plan is in motion. Let me say it this way, you not having a family plan is holding back the resources you need to take your life from its current state to your desired future state.
You know what today is…It’s Friday.
Give us a real-life current state you wish to change to a desired future state. What is it you want to achieve? Leave is a comment.
[…] Systems), the major projects that get implemented are done so by using the life cycle process we discussed last week. Not to get too technical and bore you to death, I need to give you the pieces, but in a way […]