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Recently, I was clearing out my DVR and came across a holiday special from HGTV, “Behind The Magic: Disney Holidays”. As I watched it, all I could think of was, “WOW! What an amazing example of how organization and planning can help you accomplish even the most monumental tasks.”
As solo-entrepreneurs, many small business owners feel burdened by the number of ideas they’d like to implement in their business each year. They can imagine in their minds eye what they want for their business, but they get totally overwhelmed when it comes to actually making these ideas a reality. So they take no action at all, keeping them stuck and their business stagnant.
The truth is, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming at all and the main ingredients are planning, preparation and organization.
In fact, all it takes is…
- A clear understanding of your desired outcome
- A list of key milestones on the journey that take you from where you are to where you want to be
- A clear step by step action plan for each phase of your journey A solid system for organizing thoughts and action steps along the way
- And, a few foundational systems to help you take action effortlessly and easily
I am a firm believer that investing time up front to plan, organize and prepare for an important project not only guarantees successful execution, it also saves loads of time, energy and resources over the long haul. Obviously the folks at Disney agree. Imagine taking on this project!
Transforming the Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts is a yearlong project, and eleven of the twelve months of the year are spent, organizing, preparing and planning the execution of this MASSIVE undertaking. They have one month, a staff of about 100 and the restriction of only being able to work 3rd shift after the parks are closed to transform Disney’s four major theme parks and all its resorts and vacation properties into a magical holiday scene by installing:
- 1,300 trees ranging in size from 8 ft. to 65 ft.
- 15 miles of decorated garland
- 300,000 yards of ribbon
- 1,300 wreaths
- 8.5 million lights
Oh and did I mention that each morning the park has to be “Guest Ready” by 7 or 8am?
Well the folks at Disney have it down to a science.
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They begin by planning the theme for each area of every park and resort
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Then they take each theme and create an inventory of everything that’s involved in accomplishing their desired outcome from supplies to placement to equipment
- Once this is done, they formulate a step by step plan of execution for each theme
- Finally, they overlay all the plans in one massive calendar of events to identify any conflicting priorities or projects
- By the time the actual execution part comes around, they are so well prepared that it all goes off without a hitch.
So next time you feel overwhelmed by all the ideas you have for your business, stop, take a breath and remember the story of how Disney magically transforms their properties each holiday season.
And know that you can transform your own business by:
- Having a clear vision of your desired outcome (Always begin with the end in mind)
- Creating a map of key milestones you will need to accomplish along the way
- Identifying the information, resources, and equipment you will need to move forward on your path
- Breaking each milestone down into easy, manageable and executable action steps
- Integrating these action steps into the larger plan/calendar for your business
- Stepping forward and taking action to make your vision a reality!
You CAN have the business of your dreams and the magic is all in the plan!
If you’ve struggled with creating a simple, organized and achievable plan for your business, I’d love to help!
Please feel free to post the part of the planning process that keeps you from moving forward.
