Decision Tree Set
If you have decided on a course of action after contemplating the answer you received from the Ravens RuneCaster then here is a set of worksheets to help you achieve your goal.
Central is a worksheet of the tried and well tested S.M.A.R.T. goals to aid in achieving your objective. Then there are two supplementary worksheets. The To Do is not only a general To Do list but gives more opportunities to list the necessary steps for your SMART goal. If more people are involved in your goal then the Project Team helps keep track of them. The Project Team can also be used independently. As you pursue your goal you will most likely come across decisions to be made and the classic "Ben Franklin" approach is in the Project Decision worksheet. Some general journal worksheets are made available in the Project Journal that are useful for keeping notes about your goal work. Journals and note pads are readily available but these worksheets are especially useful in providing continuity if you are using a half letter size binder.
What follows is a more detailed description as was originally posted in my learnINGblog.
The worksheets here I have been using in various formats for years so I decided to create a uniform set that I could present in this blog. The worksheets with a short covering letter of hints on how to use can be first viewed and then downloaded in PDF format by clicking on the titles below. To download just save the PDF file to your computer before closing it.
As I personally find it convenient to use a zippered half letter sized binder case (my original Day-Timer is long gone but it served me well) the worksheets are set up for this format. These binders from very inexpensive plastic to luxury leather models can be found in the personal organizer sections of stationary suppliers. The set up of these worksheets is versatile though and the worksheet can be used as printed on letter size paper. Please see more details at the end of this blog.
SMART goals have been around for a very long time and this is a worksheet to help create them. The SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. These headings are guides for creating goals that are workable in the real world and are not just ideas, like most New Year’s resolutions. There is a lot of information available in books and on the Internet about how to apply these rules in detail and so will not be pursued here. Short phrases are listed as memory jogs of what is required for each heading. The terms goal and project are more or less synonymous here.
It has been found to be a great motivating factor in achieving goals if you clarify the personal benefits you will gain, On this worksheet you can list your immediate expected benefit(s) under Fortnight, the long range benefits that linger on under Year, and your lasting legacy of the goal under Decade.
Specific steps to be taken in reaching your goal are to be listed under ACTion Measures. Again motivational research shows that if you know what you are facing and don’t keep coming up with surprises your chances for a successful outcome are greatly increased. Take time to think through all important things that need to be done and list them. If you find you need to list more items then please use the Project To Do worksheet as the rows there are set up in the same format.
This worksheet does double duty as a To Do list and supplemental pages for the Project SMART worksheet. It is not meant to be a To Do list for the dozen or so items that you need to grocery shop for but to handle more complex situations where some evaluation is necessary. This worksheet can be helpful in evaluating and deciding between a number of available options after first just brainstorm listing all of them.
The Project To Do worksheet repeats the same Project SMART header information for continuity. This worksheet also gives some hints on prioritizing and using the leading boxes of the lines.
The Project Decision is an application of the classic Ben Franklin Decision Technique that is implemented here. The basic traditional way to do this decision making is to take a blank sheet of paper and then to draw a vertical line down the center of it. The left column is headed up “For” or “Pro” and the right column is headed up “Against” or “Con.” The question problem is then brainstormed and as many items as possible are entered in each column. The two columns are then evaluated to arrive at a decision. Hopefully one column is much longer than the other so that a course of action is obvious. If an answer is not obvious this worksheet allows for each item being assigned an importance weight to help the evaluation process.
Once a decision has been made on what to set as a goal it can be followed up with a Project SMART worksheet to turn it into reality.
As a personal note this was a favorite closing technique of mine in all the many years that I was in sales.
The Project Team worksheet allows you to keep track of more factors then just those involved in a Project SMART situation. This worksheet again starts with the Project SMART header for identification so that if needed it can be used in conjunction with other worksheets in this series.
An example of where this worksheet can be used is if you are asked to organize and head up a committee to stage next month’s special sales meeting. This example will be used to explain the headings. If you are into multi-level network marketing this worksheet could help with planning a small meeting. In a non-business setting this worksheet could be used for planning a weekend get-a-way trip or other small gathering with friends.
There is a humongous amount and variety of journals that are available. For this set the Project SMART header is provided for continuity. There are three variations of a journal presented: a regular ruled worksheet, one that is checker box ruled (I have found them in stationary departments so there has to be a demand out there) and a blank sheet with just the header and hole punch guides.
Project Set ZIPed
All five worksheets with their cover pages can be downloaded as a zip file by clicking here. This primary cover entry and the explanatory Runes Memory Guide (see Project SMART) are also included.
Printing Instructions for PDF worksheet pages
The worksheet can be printed back to back on the same sheet and then cut in half and hole punched for a half letter size binder. A one side printed sheet can also just be three hole punched at the top long side for regular letter sized binders. If this worksheet is worked as a letter size page it can then be folded in the center and hole punched to store in a half letter size binder. I use a zippered case that is handy everywhere.
Wishing you well in achieving all your goals and successful completion of projects
May the force be with you
along all the dark and empty paths
you must walk.