Knowing desired outcome is critical to preparing properly
May 28, 2013
My commute from home to the NAID headquarters office is an enviable three miles and usually takes less than seven minutes. For the next two years, however, my typical route down 19th Avenue is one big construction site as they prepare to extend the Phoenix light rail four miles north. They are about four months into the project and – despite the obvious inconvenience – I have enjoyed watching the project unfold.
One thing I noticed is that most of the current activity does not show obvious signs of a light rail structure. There are a lot of holes in the street into which a half a dozen different-sized pipes are being laid. In fact, if I did not know the original light rail project that Phoenix residents approved several years ago would eventually extend into my neighborhood, I would never be able to guess what the end result will be just by looking at the construction activity.
But I do know the end result and I trust that everything they are doing is now aimed directly at that result. This construction activity reminds me of what is too often missing in how I pursue my goals: a vision of the result and how to proceed with the planning and preparation stages that should follow. Without a clear understanding of the result I want, I cannot create a plan or make preparations to accomplish my goal. And, ultimately, I do not get where I want to go, on light rail or by any other form of transportation.