REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- To achieve success, you must first plan for success.
"In all aspects of your life, from providing for the common defense to your own personal endeavors, planning is critical to success," Myra Gray, deputy G-3/5, strategy and concepts for Army Materiel Command, said.
Gray spoke to members of the Women in Defense and National Defense Industrial Association Tennessee Valley chapters Thursday at the Huntsville Marriott. Drawing from her experience in both her personal life and career, Gray highlighted the importance of having a strategic plan in an era of uncertainty.
"We have to maintain focus on the future, and the future is uncertain," Gray said.
She pointed to the challenges and uncertainties facing individuals at work providing for the common defense, such as the defense budget, public debt, and unrest in places like Iran, North Korea, China and Egypt, likening the preparation needed to deal with those uncertainties to saving money for college well before you know the path your child will take.
"You start planning not the day they enroll, you will already have to be prepared," she said. "You have to think ahead. You know it's coming. You don't know if they're going to need tuition money or bail money, but you think of that."
Identifying a road map - to determine why a business exists and what it is trying to achieve will help in that preparation, Gray said. Including outside viewpoints as well as employees and stakeholders in that strategic plan, which must be a living document within the organization, will best prepare an organization or company.
"Success is never accidental," Gray said. "You plan for success. It's very hard to get to that road to success if you don't know what it looks like. Without vision, people perish."
That vision must also be transferred into one's personal life, so they can prepare for the future while caring for the present. Thinking introspectively, identifying your core values, challenging assumptions and developing a personal plan - which includes continual education and seeking mentors - will help an individual find success in life.
"Don't be a victim to uncertainty," Gray said. "Uncertainty is everywhere. It's not going away. Plan for your success."
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