Plan your life effectively
Big changes, small changes
Magazines these days are full of articles about planning your life well in advance, but that don’t necessarily take into account the fact that LIFE can and will get in the way. What do you do when everything around you is changing at a rate that even you can’t keep up with and your life plan certainly can’t? With everything that has happened in the world economy and the decisions made by certain countries regarding terrorism and war, it is not a good idea to hide your head in the sand and ignore everything.
What happens when change happens on a more microcosmic level, that is, what if you are one of the victims of the recent ‘downsizing’ of businesses in the City and your life changes in a much more immediate way? Or what if your life changes in a positive way? You get married, get promoted, have a baby, you might even win the lottery!
reactive to opportunity
Life plans are a good idea, but for them to really work, they need to be flexible so they can continue to be useful when situations change. It’s important that you don’t be so specific that you ignore any opportunity that comes along simply because ‘it’s not quite what you wanted’, or you feel the opportunity has come too soon or too late. There is a saying that “opportunities are seen as more important in hindsight”, but this can be reversed to say that opportunities, when first presented, can be seen as risks too great to take.
Bring your dreams to life
So how do you plan your life in the first place?
There are so many techniques you can use to plan your ideal life, but the one that works best is when you really know inside and out what you want, what it would look like, and how it would feel to be there.
imagine who you want to be
You can start by simply imagining what you want to do on a specific day in the future, for example, January 1, 2020. Go through daily tasks: where do you live, with whom, and how busy is your day? How are you, how do you behave with others and how are your relationships? All areas of your life must be included in your plan:
career,
Friends and family,
physical environment,
Health,
Personal growth,
Money,
Partner,
Fun and Recreation.
This is not an exhaustive list – if there is an important part of your life that is not included above, please add another category or rename one.
Pay attention to details
Once you know what you want, it’s essential that you break each goal down into smaller goals that you can work on on a daily basis. For example, if you want to be healthy enough to run a marathon next year, you can join your local gym today and start going regularly, or find a local running group to join, and then start doing smaller sponsored races. until running is a daily part of your life. Of course, only physical exercise is not the only thing you can do to make this dream come true: to achieve the goal of being healthy, you must also eat healthy, sleep well and enough for yourself (the amount of sleep varies from person to person). ), being able to manage stress, among many other things.
life comes to play
But what happens when you get caught up in the day-to-day of life and end up realizing that a year has passed and you haven’t done anything to achieve your goals and can barely remember what they were in the first place?
So what CAN you do with your plan when life gets in the way?
Be realistic
One way life can get in the way is through sheer overwhelm: You can feel overwhelmed by the size of each category when you break down each big goal of your life plan into smaller ones. It is very important that you stay motivated and that you do not push yourself too hard. If you ask yourself to do 4 hours of work when you only have 30 minutes a day, don’t be discouraged, be realistic. You may find that if you set out to do one thing a day and do it faster than you think, then you can do something else and get ahead of schedule.
Be flexible
Another way life can be annoying? it’s through unexpected turns – this is where keeping your plan flexible comes into play. Depending on what life has thrown at you, there are different ways to do it. First, you need to stay in control of your plan instead of letting it control you. Monthly, quarterly, and yearly reviews are very helpful ways to make sure your plan fits with what’s really going on in your life, and this kind of prevention system can help you anticipate and handle unexpected situations in the best way for you.
be willing to reconsider
What happens if you change your mind about the sections of the plan? No problem, you can redesign your plan as many times as necessary because it is YOUR plan. Just go back to the drawing board and reconsider: you may find that a change in your plan may affect more areas than the area you want to change. It’s important to remember here that it’s your life and anything is possible, so if the prospect of replanning is daunting, just imagine where you want to be and start taking action!
be honest with yourself
It’s important to know that whatever you plan must be right for you: if your goal involves actions you’re not capable of or willing to take, you need to review what you want and be honest about how likely you are to take them . you are actually completing the actions you set out to do.
See a Trainer
What if life gets in the way and you get discouraged from having the life you want? Or if you have no idea what you want, since every situation you try in your head just doesn’t feel right? Here you may have to attend to your most basic needs and the real situation in which you are living. It may be the case that you benefit from having a coach to help you sort through the upper layers of life to the real you that lies below, the one you have hidden and ignored. A coach can help you realize what your true values are and help you figure out how you can translate this into your life today.
If you decide to hire a trainer, try a few to see what different styles are available; Most trainers offer a free consultation where you can get to know the trainer’s personality and training style before deciding if it’s for you. . Prices vary widely, so this is where trying out many possible trainers can be extremely helpful, as you can decide if the service you’ve just tried is worth the asking price.
Proactive and Adaptable
Life is about changes. How you adapt to that change and how proactive you are in pursuing your ideal is what really makes the difference to having a fulfilling life. Having a plan can help you be prepared for whatever life decides to throw at you while keeping you on track to achieve your dreams.
