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By Robert Wood, Senior Social Media Adviser – Prison Scholar Fund

A huge part of being successful in any endeavor is having a get it done attitude. Many dreams are thought up, talked about, and even small inconsistent actions are taken in pursuit of them. In most cases those half hearted efforts come up fruitless. We all know people who have great ideas they talk about, maybe even for years, and never act upon them. In the instances when they see someone else do what they only talked about they say, “Wow, somebody stole idea.” I say, “Whoa, somebody else had the same idea, plus a get it done attitude”. In order to get it done, whatever it may be, you must possess or gain the necessary knowledge and skills, and then prioritize, plan, and pursue consistently. The key to getting things done is acting as quickly and concisely as possible on the small things and breaking the big things down into “bite sized” increments. In order to do this properly you must first prioritize your approach.

In any endeavor it’s important to understand the priority level you will ascribe to each objective necessary to meet your overarching goal. In order to do this it’s best to break a big goal (macro goal) into smaller goals (micro goals) and prioritize from there. In addition to keeping you overwhelmed it allows you tackle priorities that lead to incremental successes and actually motivate you. Winning is excellent motivation. With your goals and objectives prioritized you can now begin to formulate an effective plan.

In the planning phase of your endeavor you must factor in room for contingencies. You must also make your plan realistic enough that you can follow it without being overwhelmed. Anything that will come up which you can do in 15 minutes or less; plan on taking care of it as you go, but do be sure to factor it into the overall plan as needed. Your plan must be written out for maximum effectiveness and be flexible enough to adjust or adapt as needed and keep moving forward. Begin your plan by envisioning success and thinking backward to what it will take the accomplish. Next take all the big steps in the plan and break them down into smaller chunks needed to accomplish the bigger steps. Once a cohesive plan is in place remember it can be adjusted as needed for any appropriate reason. Now you’re ready for the good part – action.

At this point you are past lights and camera (as they say in the movie business) it’s time for action. You’ve planned, you’re ready, and now with your getting it done attitude you begin the execution of your plan. In taking action you should always give yourself the reward of consulting your plan and take pride in its accomplishment. Do easy thing quickly and move with purpose. The fact that you’ve broken your plan into bite sized chunks allows you to continue moving closer to your goal by continuous intelligent action in pursuit of it. The can do attitude you have is a result of excellent planning. If for some reason the plan isn’t working review it, re-do it, and set back to it. To make that plainer: do not give up; review your plan, make the necessary adjustments, and get right back in action. This is a getting it done attitude.

Now you understand what it takes to get things done. Dream big and make it actually happen. Prioritize, plan and pursue. When the plan isn’t working review it, re-do it, and get back to it. That’s a get it done attitude. That’s what it takes to get things done.

Please take the initiative to donate to the Prison Scholar Fund today and help those incarcerated scholars looking to change their lives get it done. Your support is appreciated.