Having a vision is one thing, but having what it takes to turn the vision into reality is the game changer.  The moment I heard these words, I flashed a broad-private smile to myself and knew too well that I was at the right meeting, and became very attentive, crowned with eagerness to learn more.

This happened a while ago, when my friend Phyllis and I attended a forum where a group of people meet once a month to listen to invited guest speakers who give presentations on various topics.  The speaker went on to say that ‘good structures’ help companies to covert ideas into action, and action into profits.  Good structures create the framework within which companies operate profitably.  Companies that do not have good structures cannot exist for long.  The whole presentation was very informative, and I felt like it was indeed time well spent.

Later that evening, I received a call from Phyllis who needed some ideas on a project she was venturing in, and after we were done with the discussions, we got talking about setting good structures.  As we dwelled on the conversation, we wondered if setting good structures work for companies, would the same principles apply in the attainment of personal goals?  In this case, for Phyllis who was working on a personal development project.

So, we broke down the main highlights that the speaker gave during his presentation on good structures, and how they help companies to succeed, and matched them against the attainment of personal goals.  And we arrived at the following conclusions:

• Good structures help companies to focus on defined goals, making them to be well positioned to be proactive, rather than reactive when faced with changes in the economic and business environment. At a personal level, the first step of setting good structures involves determining what you want to achieve, also known as your goals.  Once you have clear goals, you will be well positioned to stay focused on attaining them, by avoiding distractions such as laziness, negative attitude, and making easily avoidable mistakes.
• Good structures enable companies to allocate and better utilize available resources during the implementation of their activities. At a personal level, the second step involves taking stock of your resources.  What are your strengths based on skills, knowledge, and capital?  Once you have identified your strengths, you need to implement your defined tasks to the best of your ability.  And where you find gaps, identify who can help you, and approach them tactfully for support.
• Good structures enable companies to organize the workforce in a manner that enables them to be well positioned to perform different tasks. At a personal level, the third step involves learning how to multitask.  If you want to succeed, you need to learn how to multitask so that you do not feel overwhelmed, causing unnecessary stress. Effective multitasking enables you to focus on increasing productivity, so that you can attain specific and measurable goals—one step at a time.

Life does not get better by chance—but by change. The ideas you have today, if put into action, can change your life for the better.  All the best buddy!