It’s the first day of spring! Before long, farmers will be planting. That got us thinking – just like a farmer, we have to plant in order to harvest.

If we want an output, we need an input. To produce a result, we have to take action. We can’t control the result, but we can control our activity.

So focus on planting, not the plant!

3 steps to planting the seed
We’re going to work backwards from the final input to the initial activity.

#3 – Plant
Unless you actually plant the seed, you won’t have anything to harvest. You have to follow through on everything that led to this step. Focus on activities that will yield the best result.

#2 – Prepare to plant
To be ready to plant, gather the needed resources together. For the farmer, that means buying the seed, getting the fertilizer, and preparing the ground for planting.

For the rest of us, it depends on your situation. You may need to do some research, prepare collateral materials (e.g. resume, business plan), make a prospect list, find potential strategic partners, or design promotional material.

These are just a few of examples. Preparing takes time and effort, but you have to do it or you won’t be ready for Step 3.

#1 – Plan to plant
If a farmer waits until the first day of spring to start planning for the upcoming season, he’ll have an uphill battle. That’s the reason we counted backwards (in addition to showing you that we could)! 

Think who, what, when, and where. And make sure you know the “why” for each of those! And also think about “what if”.

So thinking like a farmer: Who’s going to plant what crop? Where and when will it be planted?

For those of us who don’t farm, think back to Step 2 for an example. We said you may have to do some research. Are you going to do it yourself? Could you pay to have it done? In either case, what research do you need? Where will you find it (or the person who will do it)? When will the research need to be done?

A Bigg Success story
We crank out five shows / blogs and a newsletter every week. That’s our end result. As long as we focused only on the result, we struggled. Then we put into practice what we’re preaching here!

First, we plan our work. We now use a production schedule that maps out what needs to be accomplished every DAY, not every WEEK. That’s made a huge difference.

Second, we prepare every day. What will we talk / write about? Do we have the information or do we need to get it? Where will we get it? Then we gather the required materials. Now we’re ready for the final step.

Third, we do it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this blog!

The Bigg Goal-Getters Workbook is a great tool for implementing this process. It’s FREE when you subscribe to our FREE newsletter The Bigg Success Weekly!

Our bigg quote today is by William Arthur Ward:

So remember, actions produce results. Belief produces actions.

Next time, we’ll discuss seven ways to tap into your creative side. Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

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(Image by mrhappy, CC 2.0)