A life plan is what helps us create all types of projects that support our personal development.
Although there are things in our lives that we do not control, having a notion of continuity is important to be able to fully experience what the world has in store for us. And in this sense, there is much we can do to ensure that our actions are integrated into a sequence of coherent and well-organized goals, which are in line with our values and interests.
In this article we will see several tips on how to create a life plan and how this can be applied to our daily lives.
It may seem paradoxical, but many times we think we have very clear all our opinions on all kinds of topics, but we have no idea about what we will do with our own lives.
Precisely for this reason, developing and applying a life plan is interesting: it allows us find a project that we can almost always identify with Even though everything around us changes over time.
Of course, sometimes moments of crisis appear in which a life plan stops making sense. But these periods of uncertainty do not have to invalidate the idea itself of having objectives and strategies to approach them; It simply requires us to create a new life plan. From this it also follows that any time is a good time to start one of them, regardless of how old one is
So, let’s see what steps we have to take to create a life plan tailored to our goals.
1. Analyze your expectations
In the first step, we have to stop and think about what we think it could be. a realistic margin for change about our living conditions If we obsess over goals that we can only achieve by being multimillionaires, for example, that will only make us fall into frustration again and again, or postpone pursuing our goals so much that little by little we forget about our life plan.
2. Determine your values
No life plan will prosper if it goes against our values. Therefore, we must be clear about which ones we attach greater importance to. To do this, it is best to make a list containing the main values that you consider relevant, and then order them according to their importance If you have a hard time thinking of several, you can find examples in this article: The 10 types of values: principles that govern our lives.
3. Understand what stops you
Beyond what we want or would like to achieve, most people are prone to falling into certain “traps” of our minds. For example, we may be vulnerable to certain weighings that tempt us not to leave our comfort zone, making it easier for us to self-sabotage without realizing it.
Well, being aware of the existence of these trap thoughts will allow us to quickly detect them and neutralize them before they occur. distort our perception of what is best for us to do both in the short and long term And as a consequence, knowing yourself in this sense will help you design your life plan in a truly informed way and without suffering major biases that limit your potential.
To familiarize yourself with these elements that usually come your way and are capable of stopping you, It is recommended that you write in an emotions diary in which you take note of what you have felt at significant moments of the day (noting place, time and what you were doing) and what you have done right after.
You may be interested: “How to make an emotions diary, step by step and with examples”
Think about what fulfills you most, but not simply selecting your current desires, but rather those general objectives that you think can encompass your great life projects. Do the same as in the previous step: make a list of needs and order them by prioritizing those that are most relevant to you. Keep a maximum of three of them, since If you try to aim for several, you may not be able to get too involved in all of them.
On the other hand, think that the best goals are those that involve the happiness of many people, since their mark remains longer and more stable than cases in which you are the only person who appreciates it. In any case, beyond this observation, it is perfectly valid to direct your life towards a goal that will make you the only person who enjoys the fruit of years of work.
5. Transform your needs and values into chains of action
Starting from your objectives and values, develop a series of chains of actions that take you from the present situation to your goals. That is to say, go from the abstract of your goals and values to the concrete the strategies and methods that can take you to where you want to be in several years.
A good way to do this is to go through several layers of abstraction, generating general goals and then building sub-goals from that. On the other hand, try to set deadlines for yourself to increase your commitment to your life plan.
6. Reflect on the role that other people will play in your life
It would be a mistake to make a life plan without take into account the rest of the people around us and who will surround us in the future Do you want to get away from certain negative influences? Would you like to spend more time with those you love and appreciate? How will you combine that with your goals?
7. Apply your life plan and monitor it
It is not enough to carry out the necessary actions to develop the life plan. We also have to continue checking that those objectives we aspire to have meaning for us. The simple passage of time and our own maturation and learning process makes these needs change spontaneously and that is why we need to be alert so as not to blindly continue with those plans.
8. If the situation overwhelms you, go to psychological therapy
Psychotherapy is not only useful in cases in which we suffer from psychological disorders; It is also a context in which we can find effective support in the face of needs and problems such as the lack of a life plan from which we are able to organize our objectives and actions forming a meaningful whole.
And it is that Psychologists are the professionals to turn to if you feel like you have plunged into an existential crisis, if you notice that you have a hard time managing time or if you are not clear about what you want to achieve in terms of work, personal relationships, personal development, etc. A psychotherapist can not only help you get to know yourself better, they will also give you support and psychological assistance when it comes to moving from ideas to facts, developing routines and habits to behave according to your life plan and without giving in to procrastination.
So, once you come to the conclusion that you cannot move forward on your own, the next step is to choose a psychologist who suits what you need.
I’m Emily Williams Jones, a psychologist specializing in mental health with a focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. With a Ph.D. in Psychology, my career has spanned research, clinical practice and private counseling. I’m dedicated to helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression and trauma by offering a personalized, evidence-based approach that combines the latest research with compassionate care.
