The Importance of Planning Your Life

I read a book when I was 18 that changed my life — though it wasn’t until years later that I truly reaped its benefits. 

The book was Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. I still have my copy of when I first read it back in 1984. The book is a culmination of Hill’s 20 years studying successful individuals such as Henry Ford and Theodore Roosevelt. In examining their habits and philosophies, he devised 13 “laws” or principles for success.

Truthfully, when I read it for the first time, I didn’t implement a thing. It wasn’t until after I got into the car business in 1990 that I reread it, and it shifted the way I approached my life. 

Today, I help mentor young aspiring entrepreneurs on how to achieve their dreams, and the tools I learned from Hill remain the bedrock to not only my own success but in helping others too. My life is a message in its own right on the importance of planning your life, and the following key points continue to be a lifeline in keeping my goals on track.

1. Set specific, measurable goals.

The great thing about the car industry is that in order to succeed, you have to set some type of goal. Being a salesperson grew me accustomed to setting forecasts for myself on a regular basis. Not only did this mean I had to set frequent goals, but I also knew what I had to do in order to achieve them. For example, if I wanted to sell a certain number of cars, I knew based on that number how many leads I’d have to take or how many demos to produce that number of sales. 

When you set a goal, it should be something quantifiable to start. In my personal journey, money was a great motivator and tool that helped measure how I was doing. Some may be hesitant to use money as a goal, but the reason it (or anything quantifiable) works so well, is that you know how to acquire it through numbers. Intangible goals, such as wanting to feel more mentally sharp in the mornings are great, but more difficult to measure and may be hard to maintain in the beginning.

2. Set a timeline.

A plan without a timeline isn’t a plan, it’s just a thought. When you have an idea you have to be motivated to take it on, and most importantly, you have to know what you’re going to do with it. 

To make an idea successful, you’ve got to make sure you put that plan on paper and you work it diligently every day.

When I first started as a car salesman, I wrote myself a goal that I would become a manager in 6 months. I read it to myself every day and never lost sight of it. 9 months later, I accomplished it. Most people have aspirations, but what is going to set you up for success is being on track. Getting distracted is a part of life, so when it happens, you want to make sure you have a plan you can reference.

3. Beware of crab mentality.

When you place a crab alone in a bucket, it will easily climb out and escape. However, if you place it with a group of crabs, an interesting phenomenon occurs. As one crab tries to escape, the other crabs will pull it back down. In psychology, this behavior is known as “crab mentality,” and it refers to the harmful mindset of some members in a group who will try to undermine and halt the progress of others. 

I’ve experienced this first-hand. Many years ago, I was working as a manager at a location that would sell about 300 cars a month. We had enough traffic and opportunities, so each month I set the goal at 400. During sales meetings, I was able to convince everybody to hit this goal, except for one other manager. Though it was hard to do, I ended up having to let him go. I remember everyone thinking I was a knucklehead, but, the next month we did 75 more cars than normal. And the month after that, we hit 400. My point is, setting goals can also help you see where other people’s minds are or their own bar.

4. Surround yourself with like-minded people. 

The great paradox: you must do it yourself, but you can’t do it alone. Climbing the ladder of success is rarely if ever, done without other people playing a role. Almost all great achievement is a result of a group working together rather than as individuals. 

Whether it’s direct support from mentors and your team, or indirect support through friends and family, having a support system is vital. I have been fortunate enough to always have the best people around me, and it’s been critical in my business journey. 

5. Revisit and reimagine often. 

One of the mistakes I made was that I stopped making goals for a time period. The techniques had worked so well that I got distracted and stopped. Unfortunately, that’s what happens to most people. They forget, stop, and life continues moving forward. Since then, I have made a conscious effort to always have a personal plan.  

Now, I’m in the process of putting together my next goals. Which, quite honestly, I’m having a hard time with because it’s a lot larger than what I ever thought I would obtain. As you go down life’s road, it gets a little more complex. Not because it’s harder, but you realize there has to be more than quantifiable measures like money. You can use it as the scoreboard, but of course, it’s not everything. 

My plan now, when it’s done, will include everything from family goals, spiritual goals, even travel. But that’s why I spend a lot of time creating it now, so I have the rest of my life to work on it.