This is a follow up from the previous post about developing a personal life plan. This has been one of the most exciting steps I have ever taken. Too many times we try to wrap life around our work. A life plan will cause you to plan work around your life. It shows you what you value and how big of a gap there is with the life you are currently living.

Today, I want to share with you two additional steps along the path to creating a plan for your life. So far you should have your basic life accounts in order. If not, see the previous post. Today’s first step is going to require you to get right down on the runway of life. Establishing your life accounts is like viewing your life from 20,000 feet. It gives you the big perspective. It can show you just how far out of alignment you are as well. This step is designed to get you to take action.

I want to share a basic formula that I have adpated after reading Simple Life by Thom Rainer. He shares in the book four steps that are necessary if you are going to make changes in your life and accomplish your goals. They are:

Clarity —-> Movement —-> Alignment —-> Focus

Here are my simple definitions of each:

• Clarity – a mission or a vision of seeing clearly where you want to go in an area of your life.
• Movement – putting some action steps to your talk that you can start taking today
• Alignment – stop doing the bad habits that are pulling you in the wrong direction
• Focus – stop doing some good things that are keeping you from doing great things. Also, deciding what is most important and eliminating the rest.  

What I do is take the life accounts and run them through this filter. For example, take the Health Account. Here is what I would work on.

1. What do I specifically want to accomplish?
2. What action can I start taking right away?
3. Which bad habits do I need to stop doing?
4. Which good habits are stealing my time and keeping me from the “great” habits.

To make it even simpler you could have four headings under each account:

• Vision
• Key Scriptures (I like attaching everything to a Bible verse)
• Specific Commitments (These are the action steps)
• Stop Doing List (Can include bad and good habits)
• Great New Habits (Great habits you want to start – remember don’t start too many at once – just one at a time)

I hope these last two post have inspired you to take the leap. you can get really creative with your life plan. I have a friend who wrote his more as a narrative. I also added pictures on every page of my life plan. I review it several times a week and it helps me to stay connected and focused on what is most important to me in my life.