One of the characteristics of life is always changing. When you're feeling tossed around or just looking to prioritize, you might want to consider making a life plan. What's interesting is that a life plan can give structure to your life but also change and grow with you. Continue to Step 1 to create your own life plan.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Prioritizing
Step 1. Consider what role you play in the present
Every day we play different roles, or give ourselves various labels through our actions. These roles include 'child', 'painter', 'student', 'girlfriend', 'cheese lover', etc. Make a list on a piece of paper. Which do you think is your most consistent role?
Examples of other roles include (but are certainly not limited to): chef, dog lover, older brother, photographer, boss, mentor, traveler, grandson, thinker, etc
Step 2. Think about what role you want to play in the future
Some, if not all, of your roles in the present may be the same ones you would like to play in the future, such as 'mother' or 'painter'. However, these roles are just words you want someone to use to describe you later. Think about the roles you play in the present that stress you out or have a negative impact on your life. Maybe it's a role you'd like to remove from the list in the future.
To help you make a list, think about what you want to do. Do you want to travel abroad because you have never left your country? If so, add 'travelers' to your futures list
Step 3. Think about the reasons why you play or want to play this role
To make a life plan, you must decide what your priorities are right now. To do so, consider the role that you would like to continue playing, or that you would like to add to your life in the future. What are your reasons for wanting to play a certain role? Maybe the role of 'father' is written in your future goals because you want to have children with your partner and give them an amazing life.
One way to help discover the reason behind your desire is to imagine your own funeral (even if this isn't natural, it's still very helpful!). Who will attend? What would you like people to say about you or describe you as? Perhaps the most important thing you want people to say is that you are a wonderful mother and changed the lives of thousands of animals through your volunteer work
Step 4. Write down your priorities
Once you've thought about the reasons behind the roles you want to play and the things you want to do in life, write them down on a list. Making a list will help you stay organized in your plans.
For example, your list might include: an 'older brother' because I want to always be there to support my younger sibling; I want to be a writer so I can write stories of my grandparents, etc
Step 5. Think about your physical and emotional needs
What do you need to be the person you want to be? If one of the roles you want to play is 'Everest climber', your physical needs may include living a healthy life and eating well. If one of your roles is 'friend', your emotional needs can be met by being around loving people.
Method 2 of 3: Setting Goals
Step 1. Think about what goals you want to achieve in your life
Use your roles, priorities, and needs to help define some of the things you want to achieve. Think of this list as a 'wish list'. What do you want to do before you die? Remember, this is a goal you really want to achieve, not a goal someone else wants you to achieve. If you need additional help narrowing down your ideas, you can try dividing your goals into categories. Here are some examples of categories:
- Career/Job; Social (family and friends); Finance; Health; Go for a walk; Knowledge/Intelligence, and Spirituality.
- Example goals (in order of category): Become a famous architect; married and had two children; make enough money to send children to college; maintain body weight at 60 kg; visit all continents; obtain a Master's degree in Architecture; visit Borobudur temple.
Step 2. Write down a specific goal with a specific date as the deadline for achieving that goal
Once you've finished outlining the goals you want to achieve in life, such as earning a Master's degree, set clear goals and deadlines. Here are some goals that are clearer than the ones you created in the previous step:
- Reduced 5 kg as of June 2014.
- Accepted in the Master of Architecture program as of April 2015.
- Traveled and visited Borobudur temple in 2016.
Step 3. Find out how to achieve your goals
This means you have to assess where you are now. What steps do you need to be able to reach the goal from where you are now. For example, to further the goal of obtaining a Master of Architecture degree:
From now to April 2015, you must: A. Conduct research for an architecture graduate program. B. Write the documents needed for the application program. C. Fill in all the application requirements and send it to the party concerned. D. Wait for news from campus. E. Select the program you want from the programs that accept you. F. Sign up
Method 3 of 3: Writing a Plan
Step 1. Write down the steps you need to achieve each goal
You can do this in any format you want. Handwritten, typed in a Word document, painted on large paper, etc. Whichever format you choose, write down the steps you must take to reach each goal in chronological order. Congratulations, you have just written your life plan.
This is a good time to review the details of each step, such as the specific name of the graduate program you wish to enter. Or, if one of your goals is simply to be happy, write down the details of what will make you very happy the rest of your life
Step 2. Review your life plan
Life is always changing, and so are we. Your goals and priorities at 15 may not be the same as your goals at 25 or 45. It is important to review your life plan every now and then to make sure that you are following a plan that will truly give you a happy and fulfilling life.
At the same time as you review your life plan, evaluate the success you have achieved so far. Keeping track of every achievement is a good step
Step 3. Adjust your life plan
When you find that your priorities and the goals associated with them have changed, it's time to rewrite at least part of your life plan. Think about what is different, what is more important to you now, and how you can achieve this new goal. Rewrite your life plan as often as needed.
Don't limit yourself to a certain number of goals. A life plan is something that flows. Add goals when they are a priority in your life and discard those that are no longer important
Tips
- Don't be too hard on yourself if you can't reach your goals by the planned date. Make adjustments to your plan and move on.
- Constantly review and adjust your plans. Your life will continue to change, so your plans will have to change too.
