In the last couple weeks, we’ve discussed your life’s experiences (lifeline) and how to discern your “why”, that which gets you up in the morning, what motivates you on a daily basis. Those things are foundational to helping you develop a plan for your life and manage it to success, subjects of this blog and next week’s.All of this speaks to the unique God given gifts you have, coupled with your special purpose on this earth…all for God’s glory and the only way to bring you true peace, joy, and fulfillment. To that end, let’s get started.
Like with anything, I would suggest that you take your life planning process to prayer. Like with any goal, it helps to understand where you want to finish. For purposes of a life plan, it also makes sense to understand how you want to be remembered. Finally, in understanding where you are currently, you can identify the steps you need to take to reach your long-term goals.Steps for your Life Plan include:
- Identifying those you want to leave an impact on; then describing that impact over the course of your life and theirs’.
- Identifying the priority areas in your life, including the people who are priorities
- Identify the goal…what you want the future to be
- Detail the current situation
- Discern and detail the steps to go from the current situation to your goal
- Revisiting of the Life Plan
Example from Mark
Identifying those you want to leave an impact on; then describing that impact
My list includes the following:
- God (my Faith life)
- Cyndi (my wife)
- Danielle, Tricia, Robert (our kids)
- Kids’ Spouses and Grandchildren
- My Parents and Brothers, their Spouses and Kids
- Colleagues and Associates, including Volunteer Organizations
- Friends and Acquaintances
- Parish Community and the Broader Catholic Church
Picking from one of the above, a sample from my Life Plan is:
- Colleagues and Associates, including Volunteer Organizations
- I want my colleagues and associates to remember me as a strong and compassionate leader, who loved them more than the cause or the organization. I want them to have known me as their brother in Christ, someone who lives his faith, always puts God first, and exudes the love of Christ. I pray that they remember me as always helping them be a better version of themselves, helping them internalize God’s unconditional love, with it being my desire to love them into loving themselves, having a healthy self-love, and realizing that they were each made for greatness, thereby living lives of peace, joy, and fulfillment. I hope that what I’ve done in my life serves as an example to them, living out Jesus’ Great Commandments…to love God, love our neighbors, and Great Commission, to make disciples; and how these things combined with finding my life’s purpose, gave me great peace, joy, and fulfillment. Finally, I hope that they view our work together as significant and impactful, helping people feel the love of Christ and sharing that love with others, being disciples and making disciples, ultimately revitalizing and reenergizing the Church.
Identifying the priority areas in your life
The priorities I’ve established for my Life Plan include:
- God
- Cyndi
- Health (Self)
- Physical
- Intellectual and Emotional
- Kids – D, T, RJ, and their families
- Ministry/Career
- Family and Friends
- Finances
As indicated above, the steps include:
- Identifying the goal
- Understanding your current status
- Discerning the steps to go from current to goal
An example from my Life Plan is the following:
- Physical Health
Long-Term Objective:
To be the healthiest and most energetic possible version of me, allowing for the great and impactful life that God has planned for me. Detailed Desired Outlook:I am 177-179 pounds, in great cardio shape, and have very good muscular tone, working out 6 days per week (3 cardio, 3 weights/bike), always endeavoring to improve. I eat in moderation, a very healthy diet, 99% of the time. I don’t drink, smoke, or take any drugs. Under the guidance of my health coach and wife, I take supplements and engage in homeopathic remedies. I am highly energized throughout the day and sleep well at night. Knowing how to relax and being at peace, my stress level is low. I have a zest for life and love my wife.Current Situation:
- I exercise at least 5 days per week. I eat healthy most of the time as well, although I sometimes eat too much. I have room to improve on both.
- I have a chronic sleeping problem, waking up 2-4 times each night, sometimes not able to get back to sleep.
Steps:
- Exercise 6x/week, building on past success, getting stronger and in better cardio shape
- Eat in better moderation; continue very healthy diet and regiment of supplements
- Investigate ways to sleep better
Revisiting of the Life Plan
My suggestion is the following:
- Quarterly Review – that you revisit your Life Plan quarterly, reviewing it to remind yourself of what it includes, then having it be reflected in your Monthly Plans.
- Annual Study – that you take additional time, more than a review, to study and amend your Life Plan. Make it a working document, updating it and dating those updates as you go, so that you can track how the Lord is working in your life.
As always, please feel free to contact me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com with questions, comments, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests.God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!
God made you for GREATNESS!!!
Mark Joesph