THE PLANNING TO CREATE
THE RELATIONSHIP YOU REALLY WANT
NOT LEAVING IT UP TO HAPPENSTANCE
Plan - Where are we at, where do we want to be, how will we get there
Learn - Without knowledge, one is flying blind, in a sea of assumptions and misinformation.
Act - Follow the individual steps in the plan.
Measure how doing; Modify ("feedback" to correct and perfect the course) - How is each partner feeling, doing and what further needs to be done?
See the Success section, The Steps To Success, for more detail.
THE PLANNING PROCESS TO FOLLOW
Initial planning
Find where you're at - Take the key relationship tests, start with the simplest:
Other Tests - A few other "looks" at where you are
Determine where you want to be - write it out - See Vision and Goals section below.
Decision to close the gap
(Or at least proceed through checking out the feasibility; See: "Encouragement")
Learning
Get the initial "Overview": Quick Grounding In The Essentials
Build these into your plan
Follow the Checklist Of What To Know In Order To Be A Good/Great Partner
The Plan Itself
Relatonship Plans, The Elements Of - A listing that shows the analogy with the steps that would
be taken in business (business is the area where results are produced; it's just that these
results are produced in a different form of "profits").
Learning - The Basic Psychology involved
The Methods That Are Effective - See Methods under Communication.
The Plan Of What Is Wanted - Designing and Creating What Is Wanted , which includes:
Overall
Purpose, Mission, Vision - What do we want? Why?
Planning, Goals
Stages of a Relationship - Making a choice that will determine your relationship future Activities - What will we do together that will enhance our "togetherness"?
Commitments, Agreements, And Rules - See the so titled section in Communication
Identifying the barriers or potential barriers - Applies both to "relationship" and to personal
psychological sensitivies and reactivity
The efffectiveness methods that will be used - Decide which will be useful: See the Methods
section in Communication
What resources will we use?
Measures
Use the tests (decide which and how often) - See above in "Initial Planning".
HOW IMPORTANT IS PLANNING AND WHY DO IT?
It's fairly obvious:
VITALLY IMPORTANT - An intimate relationship is essential to most people's happiness.
HIGH RISK - The odds of a successful relationship without planning is below 25%.
However,
With planning and commitment, success is above 90%.
And anyone who goes through the process is equipped for the next relationship to succeed if the current one doesn't.
If it is vitally important and if it is high risk, then it should be obvious that planning and doing it right will dramatically increase the odds of success in something you really want in your life, but may have given up on. It can be done, with a high degree of success, in a partnership of two willing individuals.
Now you have the greatest opportunity to create that relationship that will be so satisfying and rewarding that it is priceless.
We need only to follow the steps that lead to success.
FOLLOW THE WORKBOOK - It'll take you through the steps and you'll end up with a great plan!
