When working toward a goal, it is important for one to have a plan on exactly how to reach their goal. It’s easy to daydream ideas, but to actually fulfill a goal a person must hash out their ideas into a step-by-step process that leads them to their end objective. The Idea Planner Template is an easy to customize one page sheet that helps a person arrange their ideas, define an objective, and lay out the steps they need to complete.
How to use the Idea Planner Template
Once you download the template, open it up in Excel to view the pre-populated form. Begin by entering your goal into the top right gray space. Once your goal is displayed, it will be easier to write your objective in the box to the left. Enter in the date you have to or want to achieve your goal by.
With your objective in mind, list the steps that need to be taken to complete your objective. The template features 5 spaces, but use more as needed for bigger goals. Each section is reflective of the last one you filled in, so fill in your tasks as you review the steps you just entered. Think about exactly what tasks need to be done to fulfill each of those steps. In the Assigned To column, put yourself or others if they are involved. Update the Status column for each individual task as you work on it.
Look back at your tasks and decide what resources you’ll need to complete them. Websites, books, and programs can be entered into the Resource List for you to easily pull up. After that, your Idea Planner is complete!
Tips on using the Idea Planner Template
- It may take some time to fill in the entire template. Remember that each section is a closer examination of the section before it.
- Use the Excel highlighter tool to color code your tasks, steps, and resources. If a step correlates with a task, color them the same so you can easily reference them.
- Print out your completed Idea Planner and have it somewhere in sight so you can look at it each day.
Download the Idea Planner Template
Template courtesy of Microsoft
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