A
life to Plan
Do you know that
we plan more for birthday parties, weddings and vacations,
than we do our lives?
I believe the lost art on “how
to live” can be mastered if you plan it properly.
Planning your life is more than grabbing a clock, calendar,
digital diary and year planner. You can do all of this
and become more effective, but can be effectively doing
the wrong thing. You can even start to climb the ladder
of success, but run the risk of realising too late that
it was standing against the wrong wall all the time.
The secret to success in life is not
to have all the answers but to ask the right questions
first: The following questions (taken from the Life Planning
Workshop © Gustav Gous) will assist you to plan
and provide a clearer direction to your life.
Question 1: Who am I? My
Identity.
To know yourself
is the starting point for wise living. First find out
who you are. Then make a decision that you will live
true to yourself. How?
- Test your wings in different
situations
- Look in the mirror
- Go for psychometric testing
- Ask feedback (from friends and
enemies)
- Try new things
Question
2: Why on earth am I on earth? My life purpose.
Life purpose is linked
to identity: If you know you are an apple tree – then
it is easy to determine your purpose on earth: To produce
apples! Stress is when you ask an apple tree to produce
oranges! Your purpose is connected to your design. But
it is also connected to a need on earth. There is not
a single life purpose on earth that is not connected
to a need.
- Doctors – to fulfill
the need for healing
- Teachers – for educating
children
- Personal assistants – the
need for order and organization, etc
- Find your life purpose by
connecting your abilities to specific needs.
Question
3: What must I do? My profession.
Choose you profession
in line with your purpose. You can live your life purpose
through a variety of jobs – before and after retirement.
Work will be a pleasure if you do what comes naturally – if
you choose a job true to your self and your abilities.
You will never be without a job or entrepreneurial salary,
if you, with your abilities, fulfill a real need.
Question 4: With whom must I
share life? My relations, life partner, business partners,
colleagues, teams, etc.
If you know who you
are, your choices to choose partners will be much easier.
You can make a fitting choice because you can compare
them to what you are. The greatest pain and joy in life
is connected to choices in this area.
Question 5: Who must I use as
a model or which set of guidelines must I use to give
shape to my life? My beliefs, faith and values.
You become what you
model.
- Make a list of your beliefs
and values and the content of your faith.
- Make sure that your beliefs
are chosen truths that bring life and not death
to the party!
- Ask yourself: Are these
values good rules for success? Example: It is
better to love people and use money than the
other way around. You will reap what you sow
here.
“You don’t
get to choose how you’re going to die.
Or when.
You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now!”
Joan Baez
Question 6: What do I still want
to do before I die? My Dreams.
Make a list of everything
you would like to become or achieve, every thing you
want, every place you want to visit, everything you would
like to do before you die one day.
Question 7: How much time do
I have left? My life expectancy.
Your life planning
will probably be determined by your age. Your time of
death is uncertain; take as guideline:
Live as if you are going to die tomorrow and plan as if
you are going to live for a very long time.
Question 8: Which aspects do
I have to give attention to in my wheel of life? My
family, physical, social, spiritual, professional,
financial, aspects of my life.
Map all these aspects
on one page and take a close look at it: Where is all
my time and money going? Ask yourself: Do I have balance
in life? Identify the neglected parts and prioritize
accordingly.
Question 9: What process of action
steps must I take to fulfill my dreams in each sphere
of life? My plan.
Only here you start
to use the planning tools of goal setting, calendars,
year planners, scheduling, delegating, etc.
Question 10: What is my legacy
going to be when I die? My legacy.
The last question
is to ask yourself about the legacy you would like to
leave. Will people be relieved the day when you die (there
goes another dictator, oxygen thief, etc), or will they
be saddened by the loss of a great woman/man.
If you begin with the end in mind (your legacy you would
like to leave in people and structures), it will help you
to decide on what to focus on every day.
