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In 60 minutes, you can change the trajectory of your life.
You can become intentional in how you apply your most precious resource—your time—to things that matter. Are you willing to spend 1 hour as an investment in the rest of your life? Because in just that much time, you can launch a process that can help you live life better.
Why is this so important? Because too many of us drift through life with little direction.
We have good intentions, but our time is relentlessly controlled by the tyranny of the urgent or unconsciously consumed by the allure of comfort. Without us even noticing, important aspects of our life are neglected 1 day, then 1 week, and then another month at a time.
This can go on for years. Eventually, for a lifetime. But this year can be different!
You can live with more purpose and direction, and it takes only 60 minutes to get started. When you’re done with the 1-hour life plan, it is virtually guaranteed that you will declare (perhaps silently, but sincerely), “I’m glad I did that!”
A life plan is a catalyst for positive change. When anchored in a long-term vision, you can see where you are going and why you want to go there. It will help you translate your top priorities into action on a weekly and daily basis. Then, each day, you simply take the next right steps.
“Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important. There is an insidious tendency to neglect important tasks that do not have to be done today—or even this week.” (Charles E. Hummel in Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent)
Step 1 – Crystallize Your Life Values and Vision (20 minutes)
To start, jot down 2-minute answers to these 5 questions about your Values and how they might guide the overall Vision for your life:
- Meaning – Where do you detect God being involved in your life, how should he be involved, and how might that guide your future?
- Purpose – What is your calling or the top few purposes in life, and what do you want your enduring legacy to be when you’re gone?
- Identity – What are your strengths and weaknesses, and how can you find humble acceptance and contentment with who you are?
- Contribution – On a weekly or daily basis, what do you like to do, what are you good at doing, and what gives you satisfaction?
- Community – When you look back on your life 10 years from now, what type of relationships do you want to have developed?
When done, spend a moment to pray and mediate about your answers. Then, shape the material into a paragraph to summarize where you want to go in life long-term. Dream big and capture a bold and exciting Vision for your life. That’s the first 20 minutes.
Step 2 – Prioritize Your 1-Year Objectives (20 minutes)
These Objectives are to help you live life better rather than set goals for a specific change in circumstances. By focusing on those things you can control, you will make progress, and your circumstances will most likely improve along the way. Taking into account the Values and Vision you created in Step 1, prioritize the top few areas to focus on in the next year by taking 2 minutes to answer these 5 questions:
- Spiritual growth – This year, what can you do to grow closer to God and move in the direction God wants you to go?
- Personal development – What are issues you should address, strengths you can leverage, and areas you can grow?
- Social connection – For the key relationship roles you play, where do you need to fix an issue or invest more time?
- Emotional well-being – What are compulsive habits to work on and positive habits or thought patterns to pursue?
- Other critical areas – After looking at your Values and Vision from Step 1 again, what other Objectives are important?
These five integrated areas can help you live life better. We did not include areas like work, money, or fitness you may want to do planning on later, but start with this list for now. For items that were identified, spend the rest of your 20 minutes prioritizing them in importance.
Step 3 – Plan How to Set Weekly Commitments (20 minutes)
This is a longer-term plan here, so you are not actually setting priorities at a weekly level. But think about the process you will go through each week. Spend 2 minutes each on the following 5 questions related to how you will plan and spend your time each week:
- Commitment – What time each week do you commit to set your calendar with your overall life plan in mind?
- Accountability – Who will you ask to review your plans to share their advice or hold you accountable for them?
- Creating margin – From your current normal weekly schedule, what can you stop doing or spend less time on?
- Investment – Which of the 1-year objectives from Step 2 should you try to address on a regular basis every week?
- Focus – What are the top few areas you will focus on with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength each week?
Write down the process you will follow for your weekly planning. Jot down about how much time you will allocate each week for the most important areas. Spend the rest of your 20 minutes brainstorming and prioritizing what you could work on each week in your key areas.
You have completed your 1-hour life plan. Pause to celebrate that accomplishment and say to yourself, “I’m glad I did that!”
Put Your 1-Hour Life Plan into Action
Keep your 1-hour life plan in a place where you can always find it. Once a month, look at it and ensure you are following through on the most important items, or change the plan as appropriate. Each week, keep the plan in mind as you set your calendar.
Don’t obsess on perfection. Measure yourself on progress. When—not if—you stray from your Commitments, picture your Vision and Values to get back on track in the key areas. Don’t worry or feel shame about what didn’t get done and focus positively on the future and on today.
You now have tremendous power for life change at your fingertips. You have created a tool to help you achieve your 1-year objectives and turn your life vision into a reality versus a dream. You don’t have to change your life today, just use your plan to take the next right steps.
By approaching life improvement as a process, you are positioned to move forward into the new year with a bold expectation of a life well-lived and realistic assurance that you can do it! You can change your life 1 step, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 year at a time. Starting today.
Question: Are you willing to take 1 small next step to improve your life journey?
Action: Complete the 1-hour life plan now or commit that hour on your calendar.
