Five years ago a friend of mine asked me if I would like to be his accountability partner in creating a personal life plan. It was a 30-day process with one assignment per day. At the end of the 30 days we would come away with a document outlining our vision, strategies, and goals for the coming year.
Little did I know that this 30-day process would be life changing.
Five years ago I created a five-page document that outlines my vision, strategies and goals for the year. It also details my desired legacy, my life purpose, my strengths, potential opportunities for me, and my planning assumptions about change, the economy, my industry, family, demands on my time, and potential stresses on my physical and mental health.
The first time I created this document it was December 2009 and my plan was for 2010. I have revisited this document and revised it every year since. It’s a process that helps keep me grounded, centered, and focused for the year. It keeps me motivated by reminding me of why I am doing what I’m doing.
It’s easy to get discouraged and feel like writing is pointless if no one is reading what I’m writing. Or teaching is meaningless if my students are apathetic.
But then I revisit my vision and see that I have written that I want to help people tell their story in the most compelling way possible, and I remember that I write to share my story so that even if only one person reads it maybe I can offer a small spark of inspiration. I remember that I teach to encourage others to share their story and to give them a safe space to do so.
Creating that five-page document was a lot of work. There were some frustrating and tearful nights. But it is powerful and important work, because I know myself better. I know who I want to be, and the things that I pursue in life flow out of that. That five-page document helps me evaluate opportunities that come my way so that I can choose to participate based on whether or not it’s in line with my life purpose and vision.
Because I believe this process is so powerful and so important I have started coaching others through the 30-day process. It’s a program that I have tweaked and adapted from the program that I participated in five years ago. The people I’m coaching are experiencing breakthroughs–real life ah-ha moments when they land on something that resonates with them so deeply, when they articulate the core of who they are for the first time.
Would you like to kick off your 2015 with this experience? I will be opening up 15 new coaching spots on January 1 and you can join me (absolute drop-deadline to join is Sunday, January 4). Follow this link for the details.