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The second of three posts on Budgeting will be available Sunday, including a link to a sample budget template, so subscribe now to be sure you receive it.

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So What??  What does that mean I thought?  That’s not the feedback I was anticipating!

It wasn’t until later that I realized the value of his question.  “So What”, is a powerful question I’ve since asked myself numerous times, and would encourage each of you to ask regularly.  It forces you to take a hard look at what you’re working on, and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is what I’m saying adding value?
2. Are all of my statements and questions made deliberately, i.e. am I just talking for the sake of talking?  What are the possible answers to my question, and what are the actions that will be taken if each is given?
3. Am I looking from the audience’s perspective?  How does it apply to them?

These are sometimes difficult questions to answer, but vitally important to consider, in order to successfully communicate your intended message, via a presentation, email, or blog post.

So I asked: Think Forward Work Backward – So what?

As I began to review the question I came to a few important improvements.  While interesting, the blog can and needs to be more actionable.  It’s one thing to provide information, but unfortunately there is more information available than anyone can ever use.  In order to be beneficial to users, it also needs to be something they can apply in their own lives.  In addition, it needs more collaboration from within the rest of the community to truly add value to the readers.  The experiences and additional information provided by other readers is one of the most valuable aspects of a blog, and were the most learning comes from.  While not always an easy thing to attract, I will be working to gather input from other bloggers and provide posts that are more conducive to discussion.

It’s a difficult question, but you’re audience is already asking it, so you better have an answer.

TFWB Action Plan – So What?

1. Within the next week, find an important task and take the time to ask yourself the “So What?” questions listed above.
2. From your audience’s perspective, list what would help you fill those gaps.
3. Produce and execute a plan to prioritize and resolve each of the identified gaps.
4. Let others know your experience, and help increase the overall blog communities value, by leaving a comment below.
5. Keep questioning yourself, there’s always room for improvement!

Every day we find ourselves in situations where objectives that were “intended” to be completed, for one reason or another were not.  Sometimes it is a perfectly legitimate reason, and other times it’s followed by a list of excuses.  In either case, it’s still not complete.

There are two important lessons to be learned from these situations:

1. Be Realistic.  One of the keys to not setting false expectations due to good intentions is to take the time to be realistic when setting them.  Challenge your intentions, and ensure that they’re reasonable.  It is far better to commit to a realistic time frame and complete it early, as “intended” than to be overwhelmed by good intentions and fall short.
2. Commit, Plan, and Act.  As a result of setting more realistic expectations by checking your intentions against reality, you are now in a position where you can, and must, commit to accomplishing them.  Put together a plan, and execute that plan, regardless of whether everything goes exactly as expected, because it rarely will.

I took a long time to think about, and question my “good intentions” prior to my previous post, committing to a blogging schedule.  All too often people, myself certainly included, make commitments based upon emotions and intentions, without first validating the reasonableness of, or their commitment to, their intentions.   By following those simple steps, it is possible to turn “good intentions” into something more.

“It is not good enough for things to be planned – they still have to be done; for the intention to become a reality, energy has to be launched into operation.  – Walt Kelly (Pogo cartoonist 1913-1973) 1

Next time you hear yourself saying I’ll try to, or I hope to, take a minute to ask yourself, is this realistic, and if it is, are you willing to commit to completing it, even when something else comes up…

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1 http://thinkexist.com/quotes/walt_kelly/

“Decide on a clear publishing schedule.
And commit to it for a set amount of time, preferably at least six months or more. The specific schedule is not that important — the point is, make a schedule, announce it on the site, and stick to it.” 1

I’ve been considering this idea for a while, and have decided it’s time to act on it.  I found myself thinking “what if I don’t have time or get busy, what if I’m out of town, etc”, as he mentioned, but at the end of the day those are all just excuses.  It will take work and dedication, but if maintaining a blog is something I’m committed to, it’s definitely worthwhile and necessary.  As my mom always used to say “Anything worth doing, is worth doing well.”

By committing to a schedule I will not only be making myself accountable, but providing you with an accurate expectation of when new posts will be available.  Please hold me accountable, and check back regularly for updates.

So, starting today, I will be posting on Wednesdays and Sundays, if not before.

As time goes on, I will also be implementing more recommendations from Chris and others, as well as some ideas of my own, as I strive to better spread the benefits and techniques for living a deliberate life by thinking forward to the goals, then working backward to the necessary steps to achieve them.

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1 http://chrisguillebeau.com/3×5/files/2009/04/279days.pdf (pg 18)