“He who fails to plan, plans to fail”
~ Proverb
When you engage in active planning, you’re much more likely to be more successful in life. You know what you want and you have a plan to get there. Perhaps you already have your life all planned out. Maybe you don’t. Either way, these tips will help you develop or modify your Life Plan so you can move forward toward realizing the joy and fulfillment you deserve. Take some quiet time to answer the following questions about what you desire most.
1. What are your dreams? Allow yourself some “dream” time to clarify to yourself what you really want out of life. Be as over-the-top as you like. Then, write them down. There is no limit to the number of dreams or how large they are. Life provides ample opportunities to let go of certain goals and add new ones. It’s part of growth and maturity. Infuse your Life Plan with all your dreams and goals. See additional posting, Goal Setting: Journal.
2. What is important? Whatever you feel is crucial to you should be reflected in your Life Plan. Maybe you’ve always been thinking about getting education. Perhaps you’ve wanted to travel but have not found the time or money to do so. If you grew up in a rented home, owning a home might be the single most important thing in your life. If it’s important to you, include it. Figure out what matters to you. Passion, success and what really matters.
3. What do you want to accomplish? What deeds do you want to achieve? Now is the time to write down what you want to do with your life. Is working on a church mission something you aspire to do? Do you want to win an award in your career for your work performance? List what you want to attain in each area of your life: personal, professional and educational.
4. What standard of living do you want? Your answer here will describe the life you want to lead. Do you want to live in a high-rise apartment in the city? Do you want to own your own farm in the country? Perhaps you are thinking that you’d prefer to live simply and pick up and go wherever you want. Perhaps you want to earn more money, live in a large house, drive an expensive car, and enjoy wearing pricey clothes, take more vacations, go on retreats. In essence, you seek the high life.
Thoroughly investigate what standard of living you want so you can include it in your Life Plan. Really search your soul. There are no “wrong answers” when you’re developing your Life Plan.
5. Do you have fun? Perhaps your version of fun means locking yourself in your study to write romances all day. You might find training and running a triathlon to be the time of your life. Activities such as bowling, practicing yoga and traveling to Europe also qualify – whatever brings you joy.
If, however, you answered “no” to this question, then it’s time to get serious about your fun. You’ll require some time to think about activities you might enjoy. When was the last time you “let loose”? List activities that you love to do. What is life without some fun?
6. Are you spending time with friends and family? Generally, those who are the happiest make time for their family and friends. If this issue is important to you, include it in your plan.
7. What do you do for your community? Giving back to your community cultivates feelings of gratitude, satisfaction, and fulfillment in your own life. Donating money, time, or energy for the good of others enables these positive feelings to be an inherent result when you write them into your Life Plan.
8. What self-improvements are high on your list? Striving to excel helps keep you moving toward your life goals. Include short term achievements for many areas of your life.
Developing your Life Plan helps you feel free and in-control at the same time. You have absolute freedom to change it as your wants and desires evolve. Having a Life Plan keeps you focused on all your goals and will motivate you to reach for the stars. A resource worth looking into is Michael Hyatt ‘s blog. One of the benefits of membership is a downloadable Life Plan Workbook.
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinguar/2154967090/sizes/z/in/photostream/
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