NatCon Hangover and Planning

Sisters,

It has been a little over a week since National Convention ended, and I am still at a loss for words. Over the past week I have tried to articulate the experience over and over an have come up with less than ideal phrasings of what actually happened. I made so many new friends, developed so many old and new ideas, and learned that there are people around the country who want to see our district thrive. With all of this support, I know that we will succeed in the future.

The one thing that I do want to talk about is planning for the year. At District Leadership Conference (DLC), we learned so many new ways to plan, and how to plan well (Don't worry! We are going to have a workshop on this at some point throughout the year). That's why I have come up with a "checklist" of sorts:

1) Plan early! Trust me, I understand procrastination. I am a pro. However, whenever I procrastinate my project is never as well-developed as it should be. No matter what you are doing this year, make sure you give it the necessary amount of time it deserves. Not only does it make the project better, but it helps you develop important planning skills for the future! Believe me, employers love someone who can plan things well in advance.

Planning early also allows you to trouble shoot. Whenever you are developing an idea, your path is going to shift over time. It is only natural! However, if you plan early you won't be surprised when your original idea doesn't work and you have to reevaluate.

2) Plan SMART! SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. If your goals do not meet any of these criteria, then maybe it is time for you to reevaluate what you are trying to do. Think about it this way:

Specific - If you told your goal/idea to somebody else would they know what you want to do? Do you know what you are wanting to do? A good way to see if your goal is specific is to write it out. Don't forget about the Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? that you learned about in middle school!

Measurable - Are you able to measure if you have been successful? This can come through a survey, visible improvement in a certain area, or increased morale. Figure out the best tool that fits your needs!

Attainable - Given the amount of time you have, are you able to complete your goal well? Make sure you are able to complete your goal well, otherwise, you are just wasting your own time.

Realistic - Is you idea/goal something you can actually do? Or, is it something you would like to see, but know it cannot be implemented right away? Remember, change takes time. If you goal doesn't seem realistic, then alter it so that it puts you on the path that will lead to your ultimate goal. Long-term goals are OK!

Timely - Do you have a set time frame for your idea/goal? If you don't then you should create one. Not only does having a time frame motivate you to complete things, but it also stops people from wasting each others time. If something takes too long then people lose interest!

3) Use you resources! Here are just a few resources that you have in TBS alone: Active Sisters, Exec Board, Sponsor, DOB, District Officers, District Counselor, friends in other chapters, TBS website, NCD website... the list goes on! No matter what you are trying to do there are people and places that you can use in order to ensure your success!

http://kkytbsncd.org/contact.html

Above is the contact section of the NCD website. PLEASE USE THIS! Any and all of the District Officers would be more than happy to talk to you about anything. Even if you just want to talk about nothing in particular... we would still love to hear from you!

I will leave you with this. There is a plan already in motion for this year, and I could not be more excited for the direction in which it is headed. MER, Leadership, Blocks, and NCDCon are going to be some of the greatest things you have ever experienced! We are planning these in advance (and being SMART about them), so that YOU benefit from what we have to say! Information on these will be given out at a later date.

I cannot wait to spend more time with my wonderful Sisters!

MLITB,

Anthony