Holistic Financial Counseling

Create momentum: keep your finger on the pulse of your life

A Master Life Plan is not a straight jacket. It is a description of what you most desire, of what you want to accomplish in life.

Give your plan ample room for growth and for life to happen, but not so much that it loses its form or its function. A Master Life Plan is a projection into your future and is supposed to lure you out of your comfort zone at times. You want it to be that faithful companion that pushes you forward in difficult times, the one constant in your life that holds you accountable.

Your Personal Mission Statement is where you plan the steps that bring your Master Life Plan into your daily activities. From now on all your daily decisions will support your Master Life Plan.  

You want to strengthen and enhance your plan continuously. Your commitment, your engagement is what will make the difference.

Stephen R. Covey in Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times focuses on corporations maneuvering through challenging times. I see such a strong correlation, though, between large scale and personal plans that I want to list the four hazards of unpredictable times he recognizes. Let’s see if you agree with me.

-failure to execute (you have your plan but nothing happens)

-crisis of trust       

-loss of focus

-pervasive fear – psychological recession

He sees three ways to stay on task when you are under pressure:

-focus on top goals only

-make sure everybody you rely on knows his/her role

-keep score. Measure effect of each action.

In the next few days I plan to share some of my own Master Life Plan with you.

A few more pointers for your Master Life Plan

Sit back and close your eyes.  Think about you. Envision what you want to accomplish in this lifetime. Who do you want to be? What has your passion?

These are complex questions, so take your time finding their answers.  

If you care to organize your search somewhat, make lists of what you like to do with your time, what you are good at, your hobbies past and present. Something may trigger your imagination. Chapters seven and nine of my book: Showing Up For The Golden Years, would be great guides for you.

Be brutally honest. When challenging yourself, it is so easy to hide behind old habits and thought patterns. Your excuses to procrastinate or avoid accountability will soar.

Even if you never finish writing a Master Life Plan, the exercise alone of thinking about your destiny and roughly describing your goals can make a difference.

The components of a Master Life Plan

If you joined my blog today, I invite you to read the previous four blogs first. They give you an idea of why you would want a Master Life Plan and what its role would be in your life.

There are many components to a Master Life Plan, but these four are the most important:

-Your Personal Mission Statement contains your plans for the next three to five years. It breaks the Master Life Plan down into measurable steps. It includes your emotions, passions, and inspirations

-Your beliefs and values are at the core of you and therefore fundamental to your plan

-Your priorities and goals will be your benchmarks along the way

-Promises to yourself will hold you accountable

Don’t make a straight jacket out of your plan. It wants to support you and accompany you under all circumstances. Make it flexible enough for life to happen.

The first steps into your Master Life Plan

Your Master Life Plan is a blue print of who you are, what you want to accomplish and how you will go about achieving your goals. It is your most personal document ever. You want to create it from a positive, unobstructed state of mind.

As you submerge in your personal realm, you alone can determine the depth and significance of this endeavor.

Your plan may not be perfect right away. You may struggle with some of the questions. Some answers may not materialize exactly how or when you want them.

Be patient! Take your time! See it as an investment in yourself!

This is your life you are talking about.

Claim it!! Seize it!

A Master Life Plan: can you afford to live without one?

Planning and mapping out your life is a privilege, your birthright. It is an invitation to explore what matters to you. Find out what you truly want from life and go after it in the most direct way. Your willingness to start this intricate process of self-evaluation, self-care, and personal development will lead you to your core, to the very reason for your existence.

What could possibly stop you from engaging in this wonderful journey?
The more important question is: How do you expect to master life successfully without a master plan?