NEWT’S FOUR-PART PLAN

Post #17

July 7, 2023

Dear Conservative Leader/Activist,

In the mid-1980s through 1985, a group of us conservatives would meet for a two-hour breakfast at my home in McLean, Virginia to strategize how to build the conservative movement and bring conservatives to power.  Then for a period of time, we’d reconvene for dinner joined by six-seven mostly young Congressmen—Newt Gingrich, Vin Weber, Bob Walker, etc.

As we identified problems in our evening meetings, Newt Gingrich would go to the blackboard (we didn’t have whiteboards in those days) and write five words in four categories. Thirty minutes later, when we had filled in the four categories, we would see a clear path forward.

1. Vision
2. Goal
3. Strategy
4. Tactics/Projects

Now, this is not the only way to write a plan, but it is a good simple template. And keep in mind that the most important part of the plan is not working the plan. That’s important, but it’s secondary to writing the plan, because as you think and write the plan, ideas come into focus and you begin to see more clearly when, where, and how to go forward with what you need to add to your life, leave behind, change, abandon, etc. Writing the plan helps clarify/crystalize your thinking.

I do this one or two times a week, before important meetings, phone calls, prepping for a trip, etc. What’s the purpose of the meeting, trip, phone call? What’s my number one goal for the meeting? What’s my number two goal? Who do I want to meet with at the conference? Etc.

As the old saying goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any train or road will get you there.”

In my next post, I’ll continue the discussion of “Newt’s Four-Part Plan” and how to write one.