Use these tips and life planning and it can make the difference between plodding along and living the life of your dreams.

1. Your plan must have meaning for you:
Writing SMART objectives and focusing on their achievement might give you a sense of moving forward but soon you will feel empty. Having a Life Plan is not just about having objectives. It is about having an aim that has meaning for you. Understanding your Life Purpose will enable you to create your life from a more fulfilling perspective, with more satisfying results. This isn’t necessarily about religion or a spiritual approach, it’s about a truthful exploration of yourself, your innate talents and passions.
2. Remember control is only an illusion:
Let’s imagine you plan a journey in a less developed part of the world. You do your research, look at timetables and make a schedule. You can be pretty sure things will not go exactly to plan however, rather than being upset about the unpredictability, you’ll be pleased you spent time planning. This has given you the background knowledge and the awareness so you can adapt to new situations whilst building in as many of the experiences you want to have. A good plan will help you with life’s unpredictable twists and turns though don’t get too attached to your ideas of how things should unfold; allow for a few surprises!
3. Your plan should inspire you:
Thinking small might mean your plan is easier to implement though it won’t embody the bold expression of your uniqueness and so won’t make your heart sing. This is a way of checking back to see if your plan reflects your Life Purpose.
Your plan should excite you. I usually suggest writing your plan down so you can refer back to it – it doesn’t actually have to mean anything to anyone else but you. So use your own language and images that you relate to. You might want to present it as a mind map, video or multi-media experience. Whatever is more you!
4. It plays to your strengths:
Your plan builds on the strategies you use to best effect, your unique attributes, skills and passions. Just because someone else achieved great results with a specific approach doesn’t mean this is the right one for you. There often things that we see as weaknesses which can be turned to strengths in different situations. Your plan needs to draw on your past as this is where you find information about your strengths and winning strategies, however you also need to start afresh without any limiting beliefs you might have picked up on the way.
5. It starts from where you are now:
If you are now out of integrity, if you are uncomfortable with an aspect of your life or feel you are not being true to yourself, this must be addressed before you can move forward with the more sexy parts of your plan. It includes paying off debts and completing the past. You should still make a plan based on your dreams as this will inspire you but you need will to start by ‘cleaning up’ your current reality as this will pave the way for future success.
6. It has integrity:
Integrity shows up as in how you implement your plan. Being true to yourself and acting with authenticity often means that others might not approve, especially if your plan takes you in a very different direction. The temptation then is to amend your plan (and yourself) which takes you off track.
7. It’s a living document:
Not cast in stone though regularly consulted, reviewed and updated. It’s integrated with the daily systems you use such as your diary, and calendar. You invest time and attention in it on a regular basis.

With these tips, you’re well on the way to successful life planning. I hope you’re now convinced that a Life Plan is not only worth having, it’s worth investing the time and energy needed to get the right plan for you.

Written by Debbie Reeds
Soul Sanook Life Coaching
www.soulsanook.com