Effective planning strategies.

1 Focus on the "why" and "how" as much as the "what" of your intended goals.

Application: Ask yourself questions such as: Where am I going? Who do I want to be? Victory started as a small office--catering only to Milwaukee--with plans to expand. In evolving into a national operation, Tucker strategized the "how." He hired an on-staff CPA, set up payroll in a way that would anticipate out-of-state employees, and secured insurance with national coverage.

"You have to map out specific strategies for all the little details," says clinical psychologist E. Carol Webster of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Think about your unique situation and create a plan to meet those specific goals.

Resource: Read Powerful Planning Skills: Envisioning the Future and Making it Happen (Career Press; $10.99) by Peter Capezio.

2 Discover the role your personality plays in your planning process.

Application: Do you tend to operate more by emotion or logic? Analyze your typical work style by taking a professional personality evaluation such as the Myers-Briggs Type indicator, which can identify leadership tendencies and other relevant personality traits for more objective insight into your preferences for getting things done.

Gordon suggests balance through "a combination of structured attention and in-the-moment flexibility" as the best approach to planning. Resource: Visit CPP Inc.'s Website (www.cpp.com) to read more about the Myers-Briggs test and other professional personality assessments.

3 Face adversity with confidence.

Application: Tucker respects Green Bay Packer quarterback Brett Favre for playing what some consider his best game the day after losing his father to a sudden heart attack. "He had to be audacious and tenacious to show up to work every day no matter what," says Tucker. "I [too] take a lot of risks, and think of myself as running my company the way [Favre] plays the game."

"Observe those who are where you think you want to be with a close, critical eye," suggests Webster, "so that you can see the warts and blemishes, as well as the perks and dazzle."

Resource: Read Great Failures of the Extremely Successful Mistakes, Adversity, Failure and Other Stepping Stones to Success (Tallfellow Press; $24.95) by Steve Young.