Part 8: Your Strategic Plan of Action
Review: INTRO, GETTING READY & Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
The difference between a dream or fantasy and a goal you will achieve is: 1) writing it down (what we have already done) and, 2) outlining a specific plan to achieve the goal (what we will do in this installment). Now it is time to formulate your strategic plan of action.
I explained early on in this series how goals work (you can review here). When you know what you are looking for, it gives your mind a ‘new set of eyes’ to see the world around you. You begin to notice the people, resources and even ideas needed for achieving your goal. But if your goal is defined only by an audacious and distant destination, your mind may be thrown off by elusiveness and ambiguity. It doesn’t know what to look for to help you get there.
The mind operates best with precise instructions. A three-digit lock has 18,333 potential combinations. When you have the specific three numbers in the right sequence, opening the lock is easy. If you don’t have the combination—or precise instructions—opening the lock is almost impossible. Making a specific and strategic plan of action provides the mind with the instructions it needs to get you to your desired destination.
Making a plan to accomplish your goals can be compared to planning a cross-country road trip. If you were going to travel across the country, say, from my hometown in San Diego to Manhattan, you would consider the following:
1. Calculating your timeline—How much time do you you need to get there? (This should have already been established in Part 5: The GRAND Design.)
2. Mapping your route—Just like the combination of the lock above, there are thousands of ways to get there. What course will you take? What will be your intermediate destinations? Those are your milestones. Where are the milestones, how do you get to those locations, and when do you need to arrive at each to stay on track?
3. Who else is going? Who will be impacted (benefit or detriment) by the journey or accomplishment of your goal? Your spouse, your children, your partners, your team, etc.? Those are the ones you need to be sure are on-board with your plans.
4. Who do you need? Who do you need to help you on your long trip? Do you need someone else to do some of the driving? Do you need an expert tour guide once you get to the Grand Canyon (or some intermediate destination on the way toward your goal)? Do you need someone to review your map to be sure you didn’t make any mistakes? Figure out who you need assistance from to accomplish your goal.
5. What research is needed? Do you need to pull some research on Yosemite or Mount Rushmore? Do you need to research operational aspects of your car before starting? In order to complete your plan and make it to your goal, what additional information do you need to research and collect?
6. What resources are needed? Car, food, gas, camera, appropriate clothes, money; list everything you are going to need from the time you head out your driveway and arrive in the Big Apple. Figure out all the resources you will need between today and the accomplishment of your B.H.A.G.
7. What training do you need? Do you need to brush up on your driving safety skills? Training on how to operate your GPS? Training on how to use your laptop’s wireless connection in hot spots? What self-development training do you or those going along with you need in order for you to accomplish your goals?
In the Strategic Plan worksheets I will help you think through and chart a course toward achieving your top three 10-year and 2010 goals. You can apply this same strategic planning process to the achievement of any goal you desire from this point forward.
Download and complete the STRATEGIC PLAN Worksheets. (Download #8) (NOTE: We’ve made the worksheets accessible in one online archive. Only those subscribed to DarrenHardy.SUCCESS.com will receive a link and password to the archive via the e-mail feed. If you are just registering now, the link and password will go out again with the next feed. E-mail feeds typically go out the same evening following the published post.)
Any new realizations, insights or ‘ah-ha’s’ experienced going through this step of the journey? Share them in the comments below.
In the next installment we will take this a step further by putting your plan into an Achievement Management System to be sure you are transferring plans into execution—yes, this is the action part of the equation.
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Comments
Psyched!
8pm CST check that inbox! Be there or be square! But will the worksheet be there? LOL!
Sincere thanks Darren!
To our greater SUCCESS,
Jeffrey Neubauer
♥Service-Peace-Love-Equality-Compassion-Laughter-Hope♥
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I’m a bit confused. I’m obviously registered for this awesome program and I’ve been receiving, downloading and printing the worksheets through #6, but now I can’t seem to figure out the password requirement. I don’t recall receiving a password. Am I missing something?
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Jeffrey! The password is located at the bottom of the email installment, right below the clickable link to reach the archive page here: http://darrenhardy.success.com/about/challenge-worksheets/
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Dan I have a problem:
I was getting the weekly blog with the WORKSHEETS and have copleted through worsheet set 6. BUT since then I have not been able to access Sets 7 & 8.
Where can I find them. The archieves link keeps coming up as error not found?
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Bill! There was initially an error with the webpage but all is working now here: http://darrenhardy.success.com/about/challenge-worksheets/ And the password is located in bold at the bottom of the email installment.
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I was getting the weekly blog with the WORKSHEETS and have copleted through worsheet set 6. BUT since then I have not been able to access Sets 7 & 8.
Where can I find them. The archieves link keeps coming up as error not found?
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if you want to download the worksheets, check out the last two emails. follow the link to download the worksheets and before you do that, scroll down to get the password. its in the email. i don’t know if its (password) is the same for everyone.
Bill, try it again because it happened twice in my own case and i’ve got access to it twice now.
[DARREN HARDY] Thanks for the help, Somi!
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I am having a problem. I have not been able to download any of the worksheets since day 1. Please help.
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Hello Darren. For some reason, I have not received the download link for #7 and #8. I have received the others ok. Can you help with this?
Thanks, Gilbert
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Gilbert! All of the PDF worksheets to date are now archived here: http://darrenhardy.success.com/about/challenge-worksheets/ You can access them using the password located at the bottom of the two most recent email installments.
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I too am having difficulty downloading from the archive. I have not received the password and have no way of accessing #7 and #8. Can you please go back to including the links in the email?
thank you!
Laura
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Laura! All of the PDF worksheets to date are now archived here: http://darrenhardy.success.com/about/challenge-worksheets/ You can access them using the password located at the bottom of the two most recent email installments. Using the archiving method, you can access all the downloads from one central location, even if you lose or delete an email.
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the password is at the bottom of your email…. Good luck!
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Thank you! Darren,
Truly making me think deep and hard.
Keeping to the Commitment Pledges.
That was an awesome reminder. I have printed it out twice (signed also!) and have it posted in two places through out my home.
No excuses, maintain focus and discipline. Playing this full out and doing my best to keep up to the assignment. Time Management articles for February, Great timing!
Everything has been easy to access on the e-mails, sorry others are having a problem. Nice to see the support from our fellow class mates.
My family is very supportive of the hours I am sneaking in, because they know it is for us.
Thank you again!
Time to renew my subscription and I am going to gift to two friends. Who have supported us.
All the best!
[DARREN HARDY] So glad to hear that you are taking your Commitment Pledge seriously, Mike! Thanks for the reminder to us all that we made this commitment and must do everything in our power to push through, or else!!!
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Every time I try to print Workshee #12, the fist page is ok but subsequent pages print garbage.
This is an awesome program but printing worksheets is a bit of a trial.
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Linda! Make sure your Adobe Reader and printer drivers are up-to-date. That’s the only thing I can think of that would case this problem. Hope that helps!
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Hard to find the time to complete all the worksheets, when are you going to do a live worksheet with complete focus and no distractions????
[DARREN HARDY] It is all part of the process, Heather! It is up to YOU to schedule your time with the program, distraction free, so you can get the most from out of it and be better BECAUSE of it. But you never know, maybe one day this program will evolve into a webinar series!
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I meant live workshop!
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Hello all, check if this link works for download 8. Good luck with your strategic plan of action!
http://www.success.com/pdf/DB10_worksheet_set_8.pdf
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I just realized that download 7 is still needed. I needed it too, so now I will give it to you. (I hope I’m allowed to do this!)
http://www.success.com/pdf/DB10_worksheet_set_7.pdf
I want SUCCESS for all of you. Good luck! …or should I say Good Action!
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Thank you Darren, for the assume way to kick off 2010.
I know I am not alone in not having the worksheets compleated on time; but I believe that we will all have the short “Goal” to finish and the long term “Goal” to have the next 10 years be brighter.
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Darren, please fix the system, getting the work sheets are taking too much time, since work sheet 6, it is becoming a time consuming event, thanks
Remmeber, high achiervers don’t have time too waste.
[DARREN HARDY] Appreciate your feedback D, but think of it this way, now you can download the worksheets on your time, without having the wait all day or the email! And there they are, kept in one central location for you wherever you are, too!
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I did not receive the last download for the 10 year success plan, nor did I receive the password to access the archives can you please advise on how to get the archives? Thank you in advance for the help.
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Thank you so much for this valuable process I appreciate all you have done to further the goals and achievements for my next 10 years. I am still in need of the last two downloads. Please advise. Thank you.
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Frances! The link for the archive and password are located at the bottom of the last three emails. But I’ll send it to you again just to be sure you get it.
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Hello all,
I posted a couple of links, but I think they are “awaiting moderation” and they cannot be seen. What I did to see the downloads is this:
1. Click on the link of the upper right corner of this page that says in blue text “Subscribe to the RSS Feed”
2. Once the new page is open, look for the Part title you need: Part 7: GIVE what you WANT or Part 8: Your Strategic Plan of Action.
3. At the bottom of the explanatory text that corresponds to that part, there is a link in blue text that says “CLICK HERE TO ACCESS OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE OF WORKSHEETS”, and right underneath that, there is a text in black that says: “TYPE IN PASSWORD: best10″
4. Once you click in the link in blue text, a little window will open where you can enter the password “best10″.
5. Once you enter the password, a new page will open and you will see all the downloads and worksheets from the beginning to the end. Choose the one you need.
6. In that same page, it is recommended that you download the worksheets to your computer, so maybe save them on your desktop before you start writing.
I hope this works for you. Good luck!
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Why is my password not working to download work sheets
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Mike, the password is located at the bottom of the last three emails. I’ll be sure to send it to you again, just to be sure!
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HI EVERYONE!
PROBLEM:
IT SEEMS THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE PROBLEM ACCESSING WORKSHEETS. IF YOU READ PREVIOUS COMMENTS YOU WILL FIND YOUR ANSWERS.
SOLUTION:
Click on “Subscribe to RSS Feed” link located on the upper right corner on this page. If your password doesn’t work, try it with UPPER case.
Good Luck
Karma
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Darren,
Not having any problems printing the worksheets, just making the time to fill them out is the problem!
But I am staying up on the posts and want to thank you for all the thought provoking material.
Hope to get caught up this week-end after writing a newsletter.
Appreciate all that I am learning about myself and obtaining my goal.
Have a blessed and awesome week-end
[DARREN HARDY] You can do it, Susan! I hear you, but sometimes you have to make a schedule for what is important and just DO it! Am I right?
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I have spent the last 10 years investing thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in programs and seminars in one of the industry’s cutting edge personal development enterprises. Without a doubt, I have gained much from the investment. But this program is working like a charm for me so far.
Perhaps it is the clarity of the direction of the program coupled with where my head is at now, but I am having so much fun!
I’m clear that planning and goal setting are skills that I have never been taught this way. This way is really working for me. It’s so obvious that these skills have been a major missing for me in my life.
Thank you for the awakening.
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Darren,
Thank you so much for the program. I am a teacher and I believe many teachers don’t take the time to sit back and really review what they are doing and how they are doing it. Many get stuck in the “routine” method and never advance. This affects the children we are teaching. I wish every teacher would take this! Maybe our education system would be a lot better shape if we did!
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First, this study is a BLESSING, so thank you!
However, the worksheet downloads are a problem:
Please make the worksheet downloads less confusing. Before, you knew you were downloading the correct worksheet because it was a direct link. Now, the link takes you to the archive. This is fine, except the titles of the worksheets do not correspond to the lessons – IT IS CONFUSING!
Please re-title the worksheets so they correspond to the lesson titles. For example, this week’s lesson is “Part 8: Your Strategic Plan of Action” so the worksheet should be titled “WORKSHEET – Part 8: Your Strategic Plan of Action”
[DARREN HARDY] Thanks for the feedback! We changed everything to “Worksheets” rather than “downloads.” Hope this helps!
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As I read the comments a sence some anxiety toward receiving the downloads. I for one have not had any issues with locating each additional installment (Truth, I did feel some anxiety when a password was required). All this intensity only illustrates the value we are finding in this matterial, and how we all don’t what to miss a think! So thanks Darren and supporting staff, clearly you all are providing a great service that is greatly appreciated. Blessings
[DARREN HARDY] Thanks for seeing some light in the “dark,” Alex! I truly am humbled that so many appreciate this program as much as they do.
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I Know how exciting it is to get our emails announcing the next installment. So exciting in fact, that I think some of us are forgetting to READ EVERYTHING to find the way to download the worksheets.
If you have trouble, go back and slowly read your email again. If you are still having problems come to the blog, there are always suggestions that work! Remember to be coachable!
Darren, thanks for the program!
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This has been an invaluable experience for me. My ‘aha’ moment came when I realized why I was having so much trouble connecting with my goals and dreams. I am great at helping others achieve theirs but can’t seem to give myself permission to achieve success for myself. I have received great emotional benefit from seeing those people succeed but it has not translated in financial benefit for me. I need to work a plan to make myself the person who will bring my goals to reality.
Thanks for the great program! I have had no trouble with emails or downloads, it has worked like a charm:)
Kelli
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My downloads have been easier than pie!
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The CD recordings contained in Success Magazine, the separate CD recordings I have purchased through success.com and, now, the generous sharing of your time and wisdom, Darren, in the the free series related to designing the next ten years all deeply influenced me. My seven brothers and sisters joined me last night at the Malvern Institute (a rehabilitation house for drug addicts and alcoholics) in Malvern PA to meet with my father and try to figure out a way for him, at the ripe age of 84, to stop drinking alcohol and to lead a positive, successful life from the present moment forward. My father was inspired by my optimism and he agreed to sign a very personal affidavit that I drew up, committing to a life of sobriety. Thank you for being my mentor, even though you weren’t aware of it.
As to me, I have been practicing criminal law as an attorny for 22 years. I’m scared, but I hope to draw upon your teachings, as well as those of Rohn, Meyer, Hill, Waitley and many others as I move toward establishing an income related to international real estate transactions and real estate investing. I’m starting really late, with young kids and little disposabe income, but others with much less have done much more.
Thank you.
[DARREN HARDY] Wow, thanks so much for sharing your story with all of us, Gerald! And all my best on your new adventure. Be sure to keep us posted!
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To repeat Henry Ford: “If I think I can or if I think I can’t, I am right”
I can because I believe I can
[DARREN HARDY] Great quote and very on target. Thanks for sharing it, Wayne!
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After my failed marriage and doing it a second time over which was wonderful. I decided to set goals for 1-5-10 years. A good friend of someone I knew from college got me involved in a business project . I had set time frame to achieved my goals. This I thought was very easy to do, because I was making goals for the children I work with on a psychiatric ward. When I started reading your book designing the next 10 years of my life , I realized that I lack focus in term of a specific time frame to accomplished my goals. My goals were not measurable, realistic, attainable and specific. Therefore, I needed to set short term goals that eventually lead to my long term goals. These modules you designed blow me away, that I am now using it to help my clients set goals for the next 1-5 years of their life. I have reorganized my life and my goals looking for a balance. I have just set goals for my retirement in 2-5years and I will achieve them . I am so greatful to you, as well as, my friend for buying this book for me. I could not put it down I walk arouind with it every day. It is now my second bible. I have finished it in two weeks . I send all my blessing to you, because this book is beginning to change my life and soon to create financial independence for me and my family. Thank you and God Blessed
Cosmas
[DARREN HARDY] Glad you have such a great friend to point you in the right direction toward achieving your goals, Cosmas! Thank him/her for me as well.
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Darren,
I just received an ah-ha that I wanted to share. I have been through other goal setting programs in the past, but none as deep as this one that you have put together. After reading some of the comments yesterday and the fantastic feedback you gave, I decided this morning to “dig deeper” into the person I needed to become and the characteristics that I needed to cultivate before I wrote out “My Strategic Plan of Action.” That is when I realized that all my previous goals were about “me, me, me.” I hadn’t focused on giving service, or who else it impacted, or who I could help and mentor along the way, not even my family. As simple as this common sense sounds it wasn’t common practice for me. As Stephen Cover puts it “my ladder was leaning against the wrong tree.” The very minute I felt this ah-ha, the rush of PASSION and BURNING DESIRE was amazing. I now feel so much more empowered knowing that I am doing this for a higher cause. That cause is being of service and contributing to someone outside of myself and giving back. I haven’t felt this surge of energy for my goals in years. I can now vividly see me reaching this particular sales goal with in the year, there isn’t any doubt in my mind. Not reaching it, is not any option for me because it impacts too many people who are depending on me. Some of these people, my future clients, haven’t even met me yet.
Thank you so much for the program, and even more, thank you for being a personal coach to myself and everyone who is involved in this life changing program.
In Spirit,
Richard
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This series is great and very helpful! Even though I enter the password to access worksheets 7 and 8, nothing comes up but a blank page. Can you help me here? I don’t want to miss a thing!
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Barb! I’ll take a look and be in touch soon.
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Hi, I registered two days ago and received part 8 but have not yet received the first 7 steps. How can I get those to begin the process? Thank You in advance for your respones.
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Tim! The worksheets are all available in the archive and the installments are available here: http://darrenhardy.success.com/category/design-best-10-years/ I’ll be touch soon to make sure you are all set to go as well.
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I have been off for 4 weeks and lost the password to the docs. Can any one forward it to me? Thanks
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi! The password is located at the bottom of the email installments, just below the archive link. I’ll forward it to you via email as well.
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Darren,
I am attending the Vemma conference in Las Vegas where you gave the keynote address. For the other participants in this program, I want them to know you are the real deal. I have no doubt that completing your program and taking daily action steps will allow me to meet my BHAGs. Thank you again for helping so many.
Linda
[DARREN HARDY] Thanks, Linda! I truly appreciate your kind words.
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Truly inspirational. I have uncovered behaviors and habits that I’ve often wondered if they were really strengths and from my 360 degree review, found friends and family that listed these same qualities. I have to admit that many of the milestone questions have caused me to push myself into what I once may have avoided in the past and have felt an overwhelming increase in my motivation and zest for life and career advancement.
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It is a great process to start thinking differente than we were doing before. Concentrate in others, One of my mind set task is STOP COMPLAIN !! Leave the negative thinking in the past and get over. See in any situation the good thing.
Darren, My question to you today is I am going BIG in my dreams , but them we start putting the foot in land and start getting the fear of fail. How could continue get the fire on those goals and persue them ? What personal actions would help to triger this ?
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Darren,
Thanks for sharing your gifts with us. As I continue working through the sheets, I feel like I am getting a better grasp of my 2010 goals and my 10 year goals. When I first wrote them down, they did not look all that impressive. In the past, I would have said, “What’s the use.” But now, I have kept up with the worksheets, and what I originally wrote down as goals have a little more flesh and they seem tangible, hard, but exciting.
I just wanted to say thanks.
Have a good week!
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I was hoping to have an a-ha! moment, but all I got was an o-oh! one. I wonder, what actions or inactions from my part have led me to be in this state of uncertainty about the purpose of my existence. I have thoughtfully completed the exercises on previous installments, but for some reason I can’t figure out what my long term goals are. It’s like they are yet to be revealed to me by a divine authority. I don’t want to force them just to come up with something. I will work with what I have and keep learning about myself. This is intense!. January is gone! everyone, remember to start taking action on your 2010 goals.
Success to all of you!
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Today I finally started this incredible program after not being productive all weekend. I actually enrolled before the program started and kept saying tomorrow I will start it, tomorrow. One thing I have realized about myself, is I quit allot of things in my life. I am not a quitter, just been playing that role.
So I am committed to spending 2 hours a day to get caught up through the first 4 weeks by end of day Friday. Then I will complete this weeks lessons by end of day Sunday. Thank you Darren for creating this program and for sharing it with everyone, and for free on top of that! Huge help since I am unemployed currently and tight on funds.
I can’t wait to see what this week brings!
[DARREN HARDY] So glad you decided to NOT play the role of “quitter” anymore, Scott! Life is full of choices and you have definitely made a good one there. Keep us posted as you catch up this week!
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I Purchased the Mentor package from the Success Magazine website. I LOVE THIS PACKAGE. However, I DID NOT RECEIVE the PDF documents written by Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill and others THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF THE PACKAGE. I TRIED CALLING THE SUCCESS STORE TO INQUIRE WHY THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED BUT NO ONE ANSWERS THE PHONE. Please let me know what I need to do to get the PDF documents.
Thank you!
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Hi Rosa,
Did you try checking the CDs in your computer? Check the contents through windows explorer. The PDF files are usually there, as they are sometimes in the CDs that come with SUCCESS magazine. Good luck!
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I am enjoying the program very much. I am trying to download part 8 and the PDF keeps saying their is a problem with it and it will not download. I am on the right page and have the password and have downloaded the others without problem.
Anyone else having problems downloading this specific file?
Thanks!
Sheridan
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Sheridan! I’ll look into it and be in touch with you very soon.
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Darren, I never received the weekly sheet you showed on your recent post. I just got on board and did received some downloads but not the one you showed on the video. Can you help.
[MAGGIE SCOTT] Hi Jim! All of the downloads are available here: http://darrenhardy.success.com/about/challenge-worksheets/ using the same password from the emails. If you have any problems, please email me directly at maggie@darrenhardy.com and I’ll be glad to help!
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Darren, I would like thank you for this awesome program. I started out this year signing up for your 8 week series and also a couple of other plans I was going to use to goal set and plan for my future. I have to say I was surprised when I printed out the first installment of how many pages it was but I filled it out and then printed out the second one. I have to say I was quite irritated when I saw how many pages it was too. I thought, damn this is serious work and it will take a lot of time and do I really want to do this much. I took a deep breath and answered yes and kept going. I decided since your series was such a major commitment to eliminate the rest of the goal setting from other people and just concentrate on this and doing it right than splitting my energy in too many directions. It has been a journey of discovery. Yesterday I reached a realization as I was working on one of the worksheets that two of my goals that I haven’t been able to accomplish that there was a part of me that didn’t really believe I could accomplish them. I see now I can accomplish all I want and more as long as I have a plan broke down in do-able increments daily, weekly, monthly etc. etc. I have absolultely no doubt that I will achieve my goals now because it is broke down into a plan where I can see what I need to do to make it happen. THANK YOU!!!!!
[DARREN HARDY] Awesome story of perseverance, Debbie! Thank YOU for sticking with us and making the next 10 years of your life a priority. Be sure to keep us posted on your progress!
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I alwsays want to to know how you define goal and purpose
Thank you
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