Today I'm excited to welcome back my friend, Reba J. Hoffman. Reba is a life coach and has agreed to share a regular Friday spot with us every week.
Before you ask about last week, let me confess and ask for everyone to forgive me. Reba sent me the post a week ahead of time, but I was out of town when it was supposed to go live and didn't check to see if I'd scheduled it correctly. I hadn't and we missed out. But I'm back on the ball this week and promise to do my best to make certain it never happens again.
If you missed Reba's first post, Dare to Dream, be sure to check it out!
Your Own Personal Life Plan
by Dr. Reba J. Hoffman
We all have
a finite number of days on planet earth. That won’t change, and once they are
gone, you can’t get them back. I’m sure you want to get to your last day, look
back and be satisfied that you lived the life you wanted to live. That will
only happen if you have a plan.
Thomas
Nelson Publishers Chairman, Michael Hyatt, wrote a wonderful e-book tool to
help individuals write their life plan. Creating
Your Personal Life Plan is free, easy to use and will help you moving
in the direction of living your dream of being a writer and more.
Here are a
few reasons why you should have a personal life plan:
- It maps out your goals and gives you clear direction. Want to be a published author? Great! Plan the steps you need to take in order to get there. Maybe attend a writer’s retreat, craft group, conference. Whatever it is, create the plan.
- It gives you instant GPS. At any given moment, you can look at your life plan and know exactly where you are and which way to turn to get you to your destination.
- Written plans are compelling. They have a type of seriousness to it that does not exist when you leave it all as an idea inside your head. It compels you to move forward, work on that life plan. After all, now it’s real!
- It’s easy to make small adjustments to keep you on course. You won’t get miles down a road only to realize you took a wrong turn. Small tweaks require far less energy and net higher results.
I highly
recommend that you take the time to develop a personal life plan. Remember,
until you write it down, it’s only a dream. When you write it down it becomes a
plan. As you follow the plan, you’ll not only have a great chance of making it
to your destination, you’ll enjoy the trip.
I was just talking with my son about his life plan this morning. He graduated high school last month and doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. What advice would you give for someone who isn't sure what their life plan is, let alone how to put goals in place to achieve it?
ReplyDeleteI'm a list-maker, and it's so helpful to see my tasks on paper. How much more helpful would it be to see life goals on paper! I love the saying,
ReplyDeleteIf you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time.
Thanks, Reba (and Edie)!
Okay,I'm the "fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" author...at this point! I'm getting the book. Thank you for the motivation!
ReplyDeleteDiane, so glad for your honesty. I think you'll enjoy the book. Susan, you're so right. I love to go back and review my goals to see how many I accomplish. It makes the sense of accomplishment so much more rich.
ReplyDeleteLisa, sometimes young men see the entire staircase before they start climbing. Other times they may only see the next step. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that it's ok to not be able to see the entire staircase in order to take the next step.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it would help your son to write out the next goal and begin working on achieving that one goal. As he moves in that direction, he may see the next step...then the next...
Reba, until about 5 years ago I'd always been a seat-of-the-pants person with my entire life. I finally gave in and wrote down some life goals. These morphed into a life plan and it seems every aspect of my life has taken off into the positive. Thanks so much for agreeing to stop by every Friday and share encouragement and wisdom. Blessings All - E
ReplyDeleteEdie it is such a blessing to be able to reach out to others. Thank you for sharing your platform. Oh, and congratulations on the life plan. Amazing the difference it makes!
ReplyDeleteI love this, Reba! I've actually had Michael Hyatt's life plan book for about a year now, but haven't taken the time to sit down and work through it. I think you inspired me to give it a go. But then, I shouldn't be surprised--you always inspire me!
ReplyDeleteI love a life plan - I've had one since I was a little girl, although I didn't write it down, but I told people all the time what I wanted and what my goals were - I still do. I've found on the road of life that my plans might not always be God's plans - and that's where walking in a real relationship with Him is so vital. As we take each step together I look to Him and ask yes or no. The beautiful part of a no answer is that it's ultimately an eternal yes.
ReplyDeleteAs a child I prayed that God would place the desire in my heart that He wanted me to go after - and He has. I believe it's important to know where I'm going (and I should write it down!), but even more vital to know where God is pointing me - hopefully they are one and the same. If I'm in harmony with His plan my desitnation will be wildly pleasing - to Him and me. I still have a life plan, but, like a GPS, sometimes I need to recalcalculate it. Thanks for your encouraging words, Reba!
What a wonderul post. Is it too late for someone in their 60's to write a life plan?
ReplyDeleteCathy, it's NEVER too late! As I said, I just started on mine and I'm in my 50s. Blessings, E
DeleteI am in my 60's and I am going to write a life plan!
ReplyDeleteReba, You rock! (Just like Susie May and all of the gang at My Book Therapy.)
I feel so blessed to have found you.
Just downloaded Michael Hyatt's e-book last week and it's on my list to read and work through.
ReplyDeleteI'm a pantser most of the time, but I'm tired of flitting about. Sometimes I feel like I don't have direction because I don't have my goals in writing. It's made sense till now because they're easier to adjust and I feel more flexible. But it also makes them easier to ignore.
Thanks, Reba and Edie, for the encouragement to go ahead and write down what I want.