Many of us (including myself) frequently use this phrase or have heard it said to us on a number of occasions, probably too many to count. But in most of those instances, it refers to our plans for the day, the week or the weekend OR even plans to address specific issues, tasks or aspects of our lives. Not in this case. This time we use this question to address your plan for your entire life. This may sound like a grand exercise so let’s break it down into detail.
Do you dare to change?
Hi. I am Shaka, and I am a Life Coach.
I was sitting with my old boss recently and he said something to me that sparked this train of thought. He said ‘Life is a continuous amalgamation of a series of episodes that when accumulated form the different seasons of our lives. As such, as the main actors or ‘stars’, we are tasked to script each episode along with its supporting characters, settings, events, etc. in order to complete each season and get us to the destination.’ In this way, the end becomes a planned result as opposed to a fortuitous outcome.
With that said, what is your life’s vision? What is your life strategy?
…and what is your plan?
This brings us to the crux of this post- Personal Visioning, Strategy & Planning.
So what does this really entail and how do you go about doing it?
Well, for every effective plan lies a strategy behind it, and for every successful strategy, there is a vision that drives it. Thus in this process, we consider the above in defining your overall life plan.
STEP 1 Defining Your Vision
A vision typically means where you see yourself at a specific time of your life. True. To be more precise, your life vision speaks to where you see yourself at the end of your life. This reflects the legacy that you will leave for yourself and your heritage. It defines the message that your name will carry once all the seasons of your life come to an end. Think of it this way- at the end of your life, as the last piece of dirt is thrown over your grave, what will you have accomplished? What experiences would you have had? What would you have achieved in the different aspects of your life? Be it relationships, career, finances, assets & investments, health & wellness, spiritual life, societal impact, the list goes on. As grim as this idea sounds, it is important to plan this way because the only certainty outside of taxes is death. Thus having a well-defined vision for the end of your life gives you perspective into what you need to do today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life to ensure that you achieve it. And decades from today, you can gracefully sit on the front porch of your dream home and rejoice at the purposeful life you have lived.
STEP 2 Outlining Your Strategy
After defining your vision, it is then important to add structure to the vision by setting for yourself goals and/or objectives around each area of your life that you deem important for your success. What exactly do you want to achieve in these ‘vision areas’ of your life?
This is where you outline goals for each area in detail to create a solid foundation for the planning process.
STEP 3 Detailing Your Plan
In this process, you state actions or tasks to be done for each goal outlined above, including the task owner and timelines for these tasks in order to allow you to monitor your progress for each goal on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis based on your targets and preference. This will ensure that at any given moment, you know exactly what to do, who to do it with and when to do it.
Final Note
As a vital part of the above process, it is important to always monitor your progress to ensure that you are constantly on track, and if not, to take the right corrective action to get yourself back on track. You can then conduct a life plan review on a yearly basis, such as on your birthday.
It is common that when brought to this subject, it leads to a feeling of panic and anxiety about one’s preparedness for their future. But it is important to note that panic and anxiety are ultimately a result of not having a clue what’s next- what to do, how to do it or even when to do it or who to do it with.
All that angst can be eliminated if you engage the right process to define where you are and outline in detail how you will get there. The secret is, it really doesn’t matter where you are or where you begin. Some say it is neither a marathon nor a sprint. The end goal is fundamental. And charting the way towards that end goal is key.
The only important thing is to get started on your life map.
Let us help you ask the right questions to define your vision, map out your life goals and action them towards a fruitful future.
To book your Personal Visioning & Planning sessions (we have FREE 15-min introductory sessions!) visit www.milleniaintl.com/millenia-coaches
For more details on our Master Coaching Programs email info@milleniapublishing.co.za .
For seminars and workshops on Personal PR Strategy, Personal Visioning & Planning, Personal Effectiveness, Public Speaking, Overcoming Mind Blocks and Powerful Minds email felistus@milleniapublishing.co.za
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