The newest article for my column in Out & About Newspaper deals with having a plan to ensure success. All goals, whether they are personal or business, require a path from start to finish.

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A man was speaking to a small group of people, and he asked how many would like the chance to win a diamond. Everyone volunteered. He put out 50 diamonds on the table. Forty nine of them were fake and one was real. Each person would get 60 seconds to examine them. If they found the real diamond, they got to keep it. A magnifying glass was also provided so they could inspect each one.

Each person examined the diamonds and none of them were able to discover the real one. Once they were finished, the man started the timer to give himself 60 seconds. In just 55 seconds, he lined them all up. With five seconds to spare, he said “This is the real diamond” and held it up.

How could he tell the difference? Since the fakes were all identical, they all looked perfect and flawless. The one real diamond had a small imperfection in it because natural stones do. Once they were all lined up, it was obvious to the naked eye.

What’s the moral of the story? A whole group of people tried to find a diamond, and they couldn’t. Why? Because they didn’t have a plan. The speaker did have a plan, and because of his plan, he was able to execute the action swiftly and successfully.

Click here to continue reading the article…

So the picture of you for the title of your column, “Life Guide” is so my favorite.

I know this has nothing to do with the article, but I felt like it was worth mentioning

There was a long period of time in my own life when I believe in, toted, admired, promoted plans for our lives. And, honestly, I still do. I have a mostly solid financial plan but need a swift kick in the pants for the rest of my life. I seem to be in a sort of dead zone with not much happening. Sigh. Time for a plan of action, eh?