{"id":18113,"date":"2014-07-28T11:18:01","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T18:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/\/new\/\/?p=18113"},"modified":"2015-06-08T09:55:27","modified_gmt":"2015-06-08T16:55:27","slug":"730-decision-making-made-easy-allison-rimm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/730-decision-making-made-easy-allison-rimm\/","title":{"rendered":"Decision Making: A Business Plan for Life"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"#\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-18119\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-18119\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Decision-Making-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Pretty young woman making a decision with arrows and question ma\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>How do you know when to leave a job, ask for a promotion, or stay put? \u00a0Having problems fitting your personal life given your demanding work schedule? \u00a0Join CJ as she talks to Allison Rimm, author of &#8220;The Joy of Strategy: A Business Plan for Life&#8221; to get some of her practical coaching tips on decision making.<\/p>\n<h1><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h1>Show Information<\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t3mwosUVaic\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.iheart.com\/widget\/?showId=25229902&amp;episodeId=26982823\" width=\"398\" height=\"224\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>SUBSCRIBE NOW<br \/>\nhttp:\/\/bit.ly\/1qIcXi8<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-size: 13px;\">Blog Post by our Guest<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Short Answers to Listener questions by Allison Rim.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>What is a business plan for life and why do you need one?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: A strategic plan starts with the definition of your purpose \u2013 <em>what<\/em> you want to accomplish \u2013 and the development of the specific actions you will take to achieve your goals.\u00a0 <em>The Joy of Strategy<\/em> presents the steps that will make you more successful managing any project whether it\u2019s a complex undertaking at work or the business of your life. Your life is serious business, so you need a business plan for your life. When we are talking about planning for your life, we go one step further than the traditional planning process.\u00a0 Following this program, you will factor in how to bring joy, pleasure, and balance into every day life so you can enjoy the process as you work toward achieving your goals<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Are people spending enough time reflecting on the quality of their lives? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: Most of us are so busy running from task to task that we\u2019re lucky to get through the day. When you\u2019re running to keep up, it\u2019s hard to set aside time to think about the quality of your life, let alone how to improve it.\u00a0 Also, many people need guidance as to how to go about evaluating their lives in a systematic way or how to make a specific plan to improve it even if they could find the time.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>How would this business plan help in making career decisions?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: Your vision statement can help with all kinds of decisions.\u00a0 A new opportunity presents itself.\u00a0 Should you take it?\u00a0 A quick look at your vision statement will help you decide if doing so will contribute to your idea of success or if it will take you in the wrong direction. Let\u2019s look at a concrete example. Say you\u2019re offered a job as a financial analyst.\u00a0 It sounds like an interesting challenge, and it\u2019s a promotion.\u00a0 You\u2019re momentarily intrigued.\u00a0 Then you look at your vision statement and realize your mission to become manager is going to require that you get some experience supervising other people.\u00a0 The only thing you\u2019ll be supervising as an analyst is a bunch of spreadsheets.\u00a0 The new job would move you up all right, but in a direction that moves you away from your goal, not toward it.\u00a0 No, this isn\u2019t the best strategic move you can make.\u00a0 But it\u2019s a useful wakeup call.\u00a0 You are due for a promotion and resolve to make an appointment today to talk to your boss about giving you a project with a few people to manage. Your vision can also be a useful filter for deciding what to add to your already overflowing plate. \u00a0Does serving on that fundraising committee at your church contribute to your vision of the perfect day, month or life?\u00a0 It\u2019s a good fit for a vision that says: \u201cI am happily engaged with other people in all my pursuits; I am very active in my community.\u201d \u00a0Serving on this committee will give you time to spend with people you like and respect while contributing to your church, which is very important to your life and the fabric of the community.\u00a0 So, it\u2019s a big YES; you\u2019re happy to serve.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>When do you know that it\u2019s time to leave your company because your career ambitions cannot be filled by your current employer?\u00a0 What if your dream job seems too elusive and out of reach? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: Several of my clients indulge in what I call the \u201cyeah, but habit\u201d. I had a recent example where my client said,\u201dYeah bit, the job of my dreams was just posted, but I\u2019ll never get it because they will want to hire some young kid fresh out of school and not an old guy like me.\u201d\u00a0 We examined all his \u201cbuts\u201d and challenged his limiting beliefs. He learned that his gray hair was actually an asset because he could provide the leadership and vision needed for all those young kids to work toward. We also created strategies for dealing with anything else he perceived as a weakness.\u00a0 After we prepared enough, he found the courage to apply for the job.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Any tips for nailing a job interview?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: \u00a0Prepare, prepare, prepare.\u00a0 Anticipate any objections or reservations the interviewer may have about your experience or qualifications strategize a response of how you might make up for a deficit, and go in with confidence.\u00a0 Be the best version of yourself. Don\u2019t try to be something you\u2019re not.\u00a0 Think of the interview as an opportunity to evaluate the <em>fit<\/em> of you with the position, not as a measure of your <em>fitness.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Q:\u00a0 <strong>When are instances that your clients have decided to stay put and if so, what are the factors that led them to that decision? Do they seem to have regrets later in making this decision?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There was one senior executive I worked with who talked to her boss about pushing the limits of her position to include more activities she found to be professionally fulfilling. \u00a0He agreed that she could push the envelope as long as what she did was in the best interest of the company and he would tell her when she went too far.\u00a0 Over time, she was able to redefine her role to the point that she found it far more fulfilling.<\/p>\n<p>Others may have decided a few months or years later that it really is well past time to move on.\u00a0 It takes some real energy go break inertia and get out of a rut. Sometimes that means getting to the point where staying put in the familiar \u2013 the devil you know\u00a0 &#8211; is more painful than the fear you have of taking the risk and trying something new. \u00a0If you can\u2019t find ways to use your talents and passions to make a meaningful contribution where you are, it may be time to take a leap of faith into a new opportunity to do just that. I wrote a blog post called \u201cbungee jumping\u201d when I described the scary, exhilarating experience of leaving my own job as a senior vice president in a prestigious organization to go out on my own and pursue my passion for coaching, teaching and consulting full time.\u00a0 And I\u2019ve never looked back.<\/p>\n<p>RADIO LISTENER QUESTIONS<\/p>\n<p>Q:\u00a0 <strong>How can your business plan help when <\/strong><strong>unexpected (death in family) or even planned life changes (baby) happen? How do you adjust? How would you use your life plan to make a decision? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: When you know you what your mission, or purpose is, and you have a clear vision of what a successful life and career looks like for you, you can evaluate whether you can fulfill that vision with your current employer.\u00a0 These kinds of events are a natural time to step back and take stock of whether you can achieve your personal and professional goals where you are or whether you\u2019ll need to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>How do we stick to the strategy? What if we change?<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Put a recurring appointment in your calendar and keep\u00a0checking to make sure your goals are current and leading you where you really want to go. Revise it regularly to accommodate\u00a0changes in your\u00a0life as you learn and grow.<\/p>\n<p>Q<strong>: Should we set time limits on things?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: It\u2019s a good idea to set SMART goals as we discussed on air.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>How often should you revise the strategy<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>A: As we discussed on air, it depends on the context.<\/p>\n<p>Q<strong>: Does Allison have an online workshop<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Not yet!<\/p>\n<p>Q:\u00a0 <strong>Is this a business plan for life<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>A: \u00a0It could be for life, could be for a day, or a project. The methodology can work for anything. Listen to interview for full answer.<\/p>\n<p>Q<strong>:\u00a0 How often should you rethink things? How many years should one plan for? \u00a0What if we don\u2019t meet the plan in the time allotted time?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: Allow more time and review your strategy to see why you didn\u2019t achieve your goal in the allotted\u00a0time. \u00a0What\u00a0can you learn from that so you can redirect your efforts in a more effective direction? Listen to interview for full answer.<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>Is this like New Year\u2019s resolutions? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: Nope, it\u2019s much more comprehensive than that. But I highly recommend\u00a0<em>Don\u2019t just make a resolution &#8211; set a goal and make it SMART<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Q:\u00a0 <strong>How do you figure what your mission in life is?\u00a0 How do you find your purpose in life?\u00a0How many strategies should you have at once? How do you set up your plan?<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>What if you dont know how to start this process?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: The book offers 8 steps that will guide you setting up and starting the process to create a life plan.\u00a0 The book includes several exercises in each step, one of the sections includes finding your find your purpose\/mission in life.\u00a0 Listen on air for details.<\/p>\n<p>Q: \u00a0<strong>How do you recognize the self sabotage things?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: \u00a0Are you reaching your goals and living the life you want to lead? If not, examine your actions and see whether\u00a0they are taking your toward your vision\u00a0of what\u00a0you want\u00a0or leading you in another direction. \u00a0The give yourself a good hard look in the mirror and ask why you\u2019re getting in\u00a0your own way. Then hire a coach, like CJ or me to coach you out of it! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #333399;\">CJ\u2019s Answers:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Q:\u00a0 <strong>What if what you love isn\u2019t what you are here to do? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A: \u00a0One\u2019s path in life is a mysterious thing.\u00a0 You may start off doing something that you don\u2019t love but feel you need to do regardless and it\u2019s what you are here to do.\u00a0 Eventually, many people are led to the thing you love doing.\u00a0 I&#8217;ve found with my clients that when and whether you pursue the thing you love depends on how driven you are, your financial and family obligations, the level of risk you feel comfortable, \u00a0and how much fear factors into the equation.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all about timing.\u00a0 With one client it happened over time. \u00a0My client started off doing a high paying corporate job in PR and took art classes on the side.\u00a0 Within a few years, \u00a0she quit her job to pursue art not knowing where it would lead her, and did PR consulting gigs on the side to subsidize her art and make ends meet with about a 50-50 split between art\/consulting.\u00a0 Over time (6 years) as she has built a client base for her art and through lots of trial and error she has a business plan for her art.\u00a0 Now, 80% of her energy is spent on the art and 20% on PR.\u00a0 \u00a0The key is to not give up hope and to step-by-step moving toward the things you love.\u00a0 How big of a step you take is up to you and your propensity toward risk. \u00a0For example, another client waited till he retired to do the thing he loved (sustainable farming).<\/p>\n<p>Q: <strong>How many strategies should you have at once?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 This really depends on the context. \u00a0There is no hard and fast rule.\u00a0 But, based on my experience you need at least 2-3 for most simple kind of goals because there are many ways to achieve a goal.\u00a0 For example, let\u2019s say you are trying to lose 10 lbs in a month and you had one strategy (exercise).\u00a0 Well, what happens if after two weeks you still aren\u2019t your goal?\u00a0 If you had 3 strategies: Exercise, Diet, and Fasting, then you\u2019d have other things to try.\u00a0 Let\u2019s say you have the goal of finding a new job that will increase your salary by 30%.\u00a0 This is a far more complicated process with each strategy taking a lot of time.\u00a0 In this case, you may only want 1-2 strategies.<\/p>\n<p>Q:\u00a0 <strong>How do you set up your plan?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 I&#8217;ve found 2 ways that seem to work for clients.\u00a0 The most linear process is to start with your vision or mission first.\u00a0 However, this often is the most emotionally daunting process because you are tackling are biggest metaphysical questions (Who am I? What am I here to do? ).\u00a0 If that is the case, then it may be useful to start with some easier pieces to kick start the process. It\u2019s better to take small easy steps forward if you find yourself stymied.\u00a0 There are a few exercises I suggest, such as look at your values, or do a personality test.\u00a0 These are lighter weight; less scary things to do that will help you kick start the planning process and gradually lead you to more challenging exercises like your mission. I\u2019ll be offering a free online video series on how to do this.<\/p>\n<p>Q:\u00a0 <strong>What if you don\u2019t know how to start this process?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A:\u00a0 Allison\u2019s book is a great way to start.\u00a0 For some, starting any process like this can be scary.\u00a0 So, start where you feel comfortable.\u00a0 Some easy things to try are to first shift the way you do things (e.g.- change way you drive to work, walk up a different street, wear a different color). As you shift your activities, your mind shifts, and you will be open to more opportunities that you haven\u2019t seen in your normal state of looking at things. \u00a0\u00a0Next, start getting back into your heart.\u00a0 Often the heart is where your passion lies, and where as a society we are cut off from the heart\u2019s wisdom. \u00a0Start exercising this muscle.\u00a0 Start with just doing stuff you love. Anything (take a walk in nature, meet a friend for coffee, etc). \u00a0Think of a battery that has run out of juice.\u00a0 You want to grab your cables and add some juice to enliven your heart. \u00a0These are good warm-up exercises if you feel resistant to start.<\/p>\n<div class=\"field-name-field-deck\" style=\"font-style: italic; color: #444444;\">\n<div class=\"field field-name-field-deck field-type-text field-label-hidden\">\n<div class=\"field-items\" style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit;\">\n<div class=\"field-item even\" style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit;\"><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">Allison Rimm\u00a0is a management consultant, executive coach, and educator\u00a0<\/em><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">who inspires individuals and organizational leaders to create breathtaking visions and plans to bring them to life<\/em><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">. She is the former senior vice president for Strategic Planning and Information Management at Massachusetts General Hospital and is now at the helm of\u00a0<\/em><a style=\"font-style: inherit; color: #b40004;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.allisonrimm.com\/\"><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">Allison Rimm and Associates<\/em><\/a><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">. She shares her insights and experiences through her\u00a0<\/em><a style=\"font-style: inherit; color: #b40004;\" href=\"http:\/\/allisonrimm.com\/blog\/\"><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">Joy\u00a0Strategies\u00a0<\/em><\/a><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">blog and articles for\u00a0<\/em>Harvard Business Review<em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">\u00a0and WBUR\u2019s Cognoscenti. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0<\/em><a style=\"font-style: inherit; color: #b40004;\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AllisonRimm\"><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">@allisonrimm<\/em><\/a><em style=\"font-weight: inherit;\">.<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"field-item even\" style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"field-item even\" style=\"font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit;\">CJ Liu is a career, and business coach, who helps\u00a0you back to the A-B-C\u2019s in life. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">A<\/span>ligning your priorities to your actions, <span style=\"color: #333399;\">B<\/span>alancing competing priorities, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">C<\/span>larity in your goals so that you can have more:\u2022 Purpose: Feel that your work matters and you are contributing at the highest level of your potential while still honoring your family commitments.\u00a0\u00a0Planning: See a clear sense of where to go, what to do next, and make continual progress toward your goal.\u00a0\u00a0Peace: Know deep inside that you are the creator of your own life and can live it without compromising the highest good for yourself, your loved ones, or others. \u00a0Check out:\u00a0http:\/\/mywholelife.net\/<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1>About our Guest<\/h1>\n<p><b style=\"color: #777777;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/730-decision-making-made-easy-allison-rimm\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-18116\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-18116\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/allison-rimm-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"allison rimm\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>Allison Rimm\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"color: #777777;\">is an author, consultant, coach, and\u00a0strategic planning expert\u00a0who inspires individuals and organizational leaders to create breathtaking visions and practical plans to make them come to life. The former Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Information Management at Massachusetts General Hospital, she engages the hearts and minds of her clients to drive performance and create teams joyfully committed to their collective missions. \u00a0 \u00a0 In her book,\u00a0<\/span><i style=\"color: #777777;\">The Joy of Strategy: A Business Plan for Life,\u00a0<\/i><span style=\"color: #777777;\">Allison presents eight practical steps to help readers find their purpose, set priorities, and fulfill even their most elusive goals. She is also a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review. A sought-after speaker,\u00a0Allison presents on topics related to strategic planning, workplace engagement, and leadership development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>#decision making, decision making process,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #222222;\">making decisions, personal development plan,professional development plan, \u00a0personal growth plan, personal life plan,\u00a0personal development plans,\u00a0personal development plans, Allison Rimm, life plan, life planning, strategic plan template, strategic planning template, finding purpose in life, finding your purpose, finding your purpose in life, meaning of life, the meaning of life\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do you know when to leave a job, ask for a promotion, or stay put? \u00a0Having problems fitting your personal life given your demanding work schedule? \u00a0Join CJ as she talks to Allison Rimm, author of &#8220;The Joy of Strategy: A Business Plan for Life&#8221; to get some of her practical coaching tips on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21296,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,490,56,58],"tags":[125,343,126,128,344,131,132,133,135,136,137,345,346,138,347,256,140,142,143,144,348,349,350,351,145,352,146,147,148,149,152,353,259,156],"yst_prominent_words":[5731,5720,5722,5728,5735,5733,5724,1657,5726,5725,4407,5734,5730,736,5723,5732,5729,5721,5727,1717],"class_list":["post-18113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-skills","category-purpose-driven-life","category-show-archives","category-business","tag-what-is-love","tag-decision-making","tag-emotional-intelligence","tag-faith","tag-finding-your-purpose","tag-fire-it-up-with-cj","tag-happiness","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intuition","tag-life-coach","tag-life-plan","tag-life-planning","tag-love","tag-making-decisions","tag-meaning-of-life","tag-meditation","tag-mindfulness","tag-motivation","tag-passion","tag-personal-development-plan","tag-personal-development-plans","tag-personal-growth-plan","tag-personal-life-plan","tag-presence","tag-professional-development-plan","tag-psychology","tag-purpose","tag-life-after-death","tag-self-esteem","tag-spirituality","tag-strategic-plan-template","tag-the-meaning-of-life","tag-what-is-the-meaning-of-life"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/bigstock-Pretty-young-woman-thinking-is-17565350-compressed.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18113"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21297,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18113\/revisions\/21297"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18113"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireitupwithcj.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=18113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}