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Heidi Boerstler

With the New Year fast approaching, many of my lawyer students at the Business School at the University of Colorado at Denver are asking for a process that connects their daily activities with a deeper understanding of who they are.

There is great power in having both a vision, as well as a clear picture of your current reality. Here are some suggestions I share with them to help create a life plan:

1. Begin Where You Are – Your life plan is a working document. You create your story as you go along .The key is to realize this, and start actively creating.

2. Create Conditions for Success – It is not as difficult as it might sound at first. Write down your answers to the following questions:

* Who am I? What am I on Earth to do?
* What are my personal strengths and weaknesses?
* What are my passions?
* Who do I learn from?
* Am I a mentor to anyone?
* What are my core values? My life principles?
* What successes have I attained?
* What do I do when I fail?
* What significant life events shaped who I am?
* What in my past would I change?
* What are my goals and objectives (2-5 years) both personally and professionally?

3. Take Action (Near Term)

* What actions will you take over the next 3–6 months:

– to fulfill your life purpose?
– to move toward your goals and objectives?

* What risks will you take?

– feedback you will seek?
– relationships you will create, mend or improve?

* Fast-forward five years: What do you see? Who are you? How are you engaged in life?

4. Put the Parts Together, Evaluate and Follow Up – Divide your life into components that resonate with you, for example, family, professional, financial, spiritual, physical, etc. For each area answer the following questions:

* What are you currently creating?
* What do you want to create? What is your end point?
* What measurable goals will achieve your desired end point?

Don’t feel pressured to sign on to aggressive goals in each area. Goal-setting can be disappointing — unmet New Year’s Eve resolutions are just one example. Focus on what is realistic for you. Choose only a few areas to really work on, and for the other areas maintenance goals may be fine for now. If you are unsure which projects to begin, re-read your life purpose and your core values and principles. Trust these to guide you. There are many right ways to create.

Each month, review the results you created. What happened? What did you accomplish? Why did it happen? What surprised you? Revise your plan to reflect your current vision and your current you.

5. Take your Shot – Use your life plan to reach out to good things and good people.

No one will do it for you. Say yes to new stuff, re-think old stuff. We become what we talk about. Answer: What do I think about?

When you radiate an intention, thought, feeling or behavior, synchronistic events and people move toward you. You may make some wrong turns. You’ll also have great adventures!