Creating an Effective Life Plan

Creating a life plan is key in remaining focused on the direction you would like to take in life.  There are several key elements to creating a life plan.

• What is important to you? Is it a job, is it a family, is it education, status? Write down what is important to you for you to be happy in life.
• Who is important to you? Write down a list of people who are important to you. Your spouse, your parents, your friends, etc.
• How do you want the important people to in your life to remember you when you are not around? Next to each person, write down what you want them to remember about you when you are not around.
• Compare yourself to how you want to be remembered versus where you think you are.
• What do you want to have accomplished in one year, five years, ten years or even twenty years? Setting goals ensures that there is a set of milestones. It’s up to you to create the path to get there.
• Break your goals into smaller steps to celebrate small victories along the way. I like to write down my goals and then create a little “how to” plan to get there. For example, I would like to get a degree. To get there, I plan to attend two courses a semester until I achieve my goal. This means, I will achieve my goal in XX years or by XX date.
•  Continue to evaluate your plan. No plans are set in stone. If your goals in life change, make your plan flexible to change with it. After all, it’s your life.