Life Planning is a process that helps people improve the quality of their life and achieve their goals. By following specific steps and utilizing a support system along the way, each Life Planner will develop their own vision, life goals and successful implementation plan.

In 1987, while attending a "stress management" workshop, I realized something that changed my life. I realized that, if I would put the same amount of effort into developing a strategic plan for myself as I had done for my employer, I could change my life forever.

As a result of this experience, I came up with my own vision and mission statement, a three-year plan for myself to achieve it and specific measurable goals that I could use to track my progress. I returned from the workshop and shared my plan with my wife. To implement it would require a shared vision and an agreement as to the risk. My wife asked me the key question that, when I answered it truthfully, led us to move ahead. She said, "If you were to retire tomorrow, would you be sorry that you hadn’t tried it?" I thought about it and then said, "Yes." My wife and I resigned from our jobs, sold our house and moved to where we wanted to live to be able to live out our Life Plan. We’ve never been sorry.

After experiencing first-hand how my Life Plan improved the quality of my life, I am passionate about helping others achieve their goals and improve their lives, personally and professionally. I’ve developed a uniquely tailored approach to Life Planing and I would like to share it with you.

WHO SHOULD CONSIDER CREATING A LIFE PLAN?

People who:

• want to improve the quality of their life.
• haven’t discovered what they want to do with their life.
• are about to make a significant life change (marriage, retirement, career,).
• have tried to change their life before and haven’t been able to do so.

Life Planners will…

• make better daily choices.
• experience less stress.
• develop a feeling of accomplishment as they see themselves move toward attaining their vision.
• have the peace of mind of knowing that they have a process and support team in place to help them deal with future changes.
• be able to use their Life Plan as a vehicle to help them know when to say no.
• get more out of life by better utilizing their time.
• improve communications and their quality of life by including their family in the Life Planning process.

Although the Life Planning process is personalized for each individual, the steps for developing a personal Life Plan are outlined below. Steps 1 through 8 usually take place over 4 meetings with a professional Life Planning Facilitator.

1. The prospective Life Planner first meets with a Life Planning Facilitator to determine whether or not they are ready to commit to the program.
2. If they are ready, an assessment is given to each person to determine strengths, needs and overall stress level. The results are then shared with the Life Planner.
3. The Life Planner then is taken through an exercise to analyze their current life situation in order to determine a base line for change.
4. The Life Planner then creates a "vision and mission" statement.
5. The Life Planner then develops their own specific, measurable Life Goals that are used to help them achieve their vision.
6. An implementation plan is then developed to carry out the plan and fully utilize the 168 hours in each week.
7. Sessions are set up to allow for coaching to support the Life Planner’s journey.
8. Each year the Life Plan is then re-examined and updated for the next year.