Lee Weinstein's Blog - Posts Tagged "life-planner"
Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” Debuts Today
I’m proud to announce the release of my first book, "Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook!"
It’s available starting today for holiday gift-giving, New Year’s planning and more at www.writeopenact.com and on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999411802.
How this all came about began one Saturday, soon after Melinda and I married, when we pulled out a large sheet of butcher paper and invented a process we call Intentional Life Planning.
It started with a conversation about where we wanted to live. This led to our looking at the decades we had ahead and the key upcoming milestones for our family, and imagining what we wanted to do with our lives. We ended up creating a highly visual Intentional Life Plan—a timeline filled with dreams and goals—that we’ve updated every year since.
When we shared photos of our annual planning day on Facebook, our friends went crazy. Many asked how they, too, could get started. And several asked us to turn our process into a workshop, which we did, and now we’ve followed it with this workbook.
Writing down your life's wishes and having a visual Intentional Life Plan in your home opens up new possibilities that you can act on to live a fulfilling life.
With “Write, Open, Act,” our hope is that this workbook helps everyone plan for and lead their best life.
If life were a project, wouldn’t it make sense to develop a plan? A plan you looked at every month, with action steps to make it a reality?
Hope you enjoy the workbook—and please tell your friends!
Thanks,
Lee
Praise for 'Write, Open, Act'
“Life is strange, wonderful, constantly challenging, always rewarding—and we can all use some wise guidance on our path. ‘Write, Open, Act’ invites readers to take a deep dive into their minds and hearts; to get clear on what really matters. It’s insightful and delightful, in equal measure.”
—Susan Casey, Author of “The Devil’s Teeth, The Wave, and Voices in the Ocean,” and former editor in chief of O, The Oprah Magazine
“We spend so much of our lives planning work, children, even our vacations. Somehow lost in the equation are our own hopes and dreams, the goals we sometimes fantasize about but never verbalize for fear we could be seen as selfish—or, worse, ridiculous.
"Lee Weinstein has written the road map back to our hearts. It’s a guidebook every 20-something should consider before choosing a partner, every established couple should read before committing, and every older couple should refer to regularly to ask, ‘What really matters and how do we do that?!’” —Sheila Hamilton, Author, activist, and Portland's favorite radio host
“I love this book! Weinstein offers great tips on the power of writing things down, practical advice, and inspirational ideas, all of which make this a fun and engaging process to help anyone at any stage of life!"
—Jane Buckingham, Founder and president of consumer insights firm Trendera and contributing editor at Glamour Magazine and The Huffington Post
It’s available starting today for holiday gift-giving, New Year’s planning and more at www.writeopenact.com and on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999411802.
How this all came about began one Saturday, soon after Melinda and I married, when we pulled out a large sheet of butcher paper and invented a process we call Intentional Life Planning.
It started with a conversation about where we wanted to live. This led to our looking at the decades we had ahead and the key upcoming milestones for our family, and imagining what we wanted to do with our lives. We ended up creating a highly visual Intentional Life Plan—a timeline filled with dreams and goals—that we’ve updated every year since.
When we shared photos of our annual planning day on Facebook, our friends went crazy. Many asked how they, too, could get started. And several asked us to turn our process into a workshop, which we did, and now we’ve followed it with this workbook.
Writing down your life's wishes and having a visual Intentional Life Plan in your home opens up new possibilities that you can act on to live a fulfilling life.
With “Write, Open, Act,” our hope is that this workbook helps everyone plan for and lead their best life.
If life were a project, wouldn’t it make sense to develop a plan? A plan you looked at every month, with action steps to make it a reality?
Hope you enjoy the workbook—and please tell your friends!
Thanks,
Lee
Praise for 'Write, Open, Act'
“Life is strange, wonderful, constantly challenging, always rewarding—and we can all use some wise guidance on our path. ‘Write, Open, Act’ invites readers to take a deep dive into their minds and hearts; to get clear on what really matters. It’s insightful and delightful, in equal measure.”
—Susan Casey, Author of “The Devil’s Teeth, The Wave, and Voices in the Ocean,” and former editor in chief of O, The Oprah Magazine
“We spend so much of our lives planning work, children, even our vacations. Somehow lost in the equation are our own hopes and dreams, the goals we sometimes fantasize about but never verbalize for fear we could be seen as selfish—or, worse, ridiculous.
"Lee Weinstein has written the road map back to our hearts. It’s a guidebook every 20-something should consider before choosing a partner, every established couple should read before committing, and every older couple should refer to regularly to ask, ‘What really matters and how do we do that?!’” —Sheila Hamilton, Author, activist, and Portland's favorite radio host
“I love this book! Weinstein offers great tips on the power of writing things down, practical advice, and inspirational ideas, all of which make this a fun and engaging process to help anyone at any stage of life!"
—Jane Buckingham, Founder and president of consumer insights firm Trendera and contributing editor at Glamour Magazine and The Huffington Post
Why Have a Written Life Plan?
We as a society talk about the importance of financial plans and wills, but “Intentional Life Plans” are not currently part of our vernacular. That needs to change.
Our survey partner, DHM Research, asked 1,069 Americans aged 18+ in a scientifically conducted online survey between November 17-21, 2017, “Do you have a life plan that you have committed to in writing and use to help guide you through the rest of your life?”
One-third of the respondents answered “yes,” while 67 percent said “no.”
Of those who do have a written life plan:
35 percent say it helps them set goals and gauge progress;
31 percent report it keeps them on track and provides a road map;
15 percent say it’s a reminder of priorities;
13 percent say it has helped them plan for the future;
9 percent say it has helped them with end-of-life decisions; and
9 percent report it’s helpful in financial and estate planning.
Almost half of the respondents (48 percent) who do not have a written life plan believe it would be valuable for the reasons above.
Respondents who have a written life plan commented that they found having a plan helps them set goals, focus on what’s important and stay on track to complete their long-term goals:
"My life plan helps lay out my future goals and provides a game plan to reach them."
"Life is too random and unknowable. But a written plan is useful in that it helps to keep one grounded and focused on the goals and things that are important."
"Most people spend more time planning a one-week vacation than identifying what outcomes they want to see in the major areas of their lives."
"Every time I see my life plan in writing, I become inspired. It gives me energy to work hard to achieve my goals."
My life plan is a personal compass which guides me through life.
"It gives me something to look back upon so I can see how far along I am, what I need to work on. Things in writing feel more concrete."
"I am 34 years old, and actually writing things down seems to really help me to commit."
"If I just said it out loud, I wouldn’t feel motivated, and thus that written piece makes me want to accomplish it."
"It makes it feel 'real' when you can physically see it on paper and touch it."
"When I’m having a bad day, I’ll read over the life plan to remind me of things I should be grateful for.
When I am confused about the next step, my life plan helps to keep me on task."
"It’s my guiding light. It allows me to not make rash decisions that I will later regret. My written life plan helps keep my life in order. In other words, when I finish a goal on my checklist, I will know what to do next."
"It makes my life more enjoyable in the long run.
Without a plan and goals, you’re wasting a lot of your life."
What do you intend to do with your life?
With 2018 approaching, there’s no better time to start creating your Intentional Life Plan.
After all, we only get so many trips around the sun.
Our survey partner, DHM Research, asked 1,069 Americans aged 18+ in a scientifically conducted online survey between November 17-21, 2017, “Do you have a life plan that you have committed to in writing and use to help guide you through the rest of your life?”
One-third of the respondents answered “yes,” while 67 percent said “no.”
Of those who do have a written life plan:
35 percent say it helps them set goals and gauge progress;
31 percent report it keeps them on track and provides a road map;
15 percent say it’s a reminder of priorities;
13 percent say it has helped them plan for the future;
9 percent say it has helped them with end-of-life decisions; and
9 percent report it’s helpful in financial and estate planning.
Almost half of the respondents (48 percent) who do not have a written life plan believe it would be valuable for the reasons above.
Respondents who have a written life plan commented that they found having a plan helps them set goals, focus on what’s important and stay on track to complete their long-term goals:
"My life plan helps lay out my future goals and provides a game plan to reach them."
"Life is too random and unknowable. But a written plan is useful in that it helps to keep one grounded and focused on the goals and things that are important."
"Most people spend more time planning a one-week vacation than identifying what outcomes they want to see in the major areas of their lives."
"Every time I see my life plan in writing, I become inspired. It gives me energy to work hard to achieve my goals."
My life plan is a personal compass which guides me through life.
"It gives me something to look back upon so I can see how far along I am, what I need to work on. Things in writing feel more concrete."
"I am 34 years old, and actually writing things down seems to really help me to commit."
"If I just said it out loud, I wouldn’t feel motivated, and thus that written piece makes me want to accomplish it."
"It makes it feel 'real' when you can physically see it on paper and touch it."
"When I’m having a bad day, I’ll read over the life plan to remind me of things I should be grateful for.
When I am confused about the next step, my life plan helps to keep me on task."
"It’s my guiding light. It allows me to not make rash decisions that I will later regret. My written life plan helps keep my life in order. In other words, when I finish a goal on my checklist, I will know what to do next."
"It makes my life more enjoyable in the long run.
Without a plan and goals, you’re wasting a lot of your life."
What do you intend to do with your life?
With 2018 approaching, there’s no better time to start creating your Intentional Life Plan.
After all, we only get so many trips around the sun.
New Year: Planning With Intention
Winter is a wonderful time for reinvention. With the new year approaching, it’s an apt moment to review the year that was and plan the year ahead.
Here are some suggestions for updating your Intentional Life Plan for the coming year. If you don’t have an Intentional Life Plan, now’s the time to develop one! Order your copy of “Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” today on Amazon at amzn.to/2kimwEv.
1. Reflect on the year that was
• Look at your Intentional Life Plan and what you accomplished in 2017. Check off life goal Sticky Notes that you achieved. Celebrate what you did!
• Create a bulleted list of your 2017 highlights. Create the list by going back through your photo library* and writing down all your key moments.
• Go through your diary or journal for the year, as well as your calendar, to add other key moments. Think back to other important events, milestones and personal/work/family accomplishments you might have missed, and add those.
2. Assess
• Relish what you accomplished and feel the moments you had! Talk to your partner, spouse, best friend or yourself about what you see.
• Reread your 2017 life goals. Which ones are remaining, and what blocked you from accomplishing them? Do you want to move them to 2018 or another year? One of our workshop alumnae moves her life goals that are no longer relevant to the bottom of her Intentional Life Plan just so she can go back and think about them.
• What crossed your mind during this look back about what you want to do with your life ahead? Did anything get your juices going or your heart fluttering?
3. Plan
• Add life goal Sticky Notes you want to achieve in 2018 and beyond. Evaluate your new life goals and whether they meet the S.M.A.R.T. goal formula.
• Prioritize your life goals for the coming year. What do you want to do in each quarter? Create action steps for each life goal. Discuss with yourself or your partner.
• Go through each goal and make it actionable. What is the first step? Second? Third? Who does what? When will you start? This is key: If your goals aren’t actionable and don’t have steps, they won’t get done.
4. Systematize and calendarize
• Add your goals to the tools you use to keep track of your monthly or daily tasks/goals.
• Schedule on your calendar a repeating monthly appointment to review your life goals. Invite your best friend, spouse or partner to join you in your planning.
• Add the further changes you’ve made and update your Intentional Life Plan.
We humans are such a resilient species—we can always keep striving to improve and live our best lives on this planet.
Have a fantastic year, and enjoy your next trip around the sun!
*Two of our Intentional Life Planning workshop alumnae suggest making a 2018 calendar with your 2017 month-by-month highlights on the corresponding months so you can remember throughout 2018 what you were doing a year ago. iPhoto, Vistaprint and many other services offer calendar photo collages.
Here are some suggestions for updating your Intentional Life Plan for the coming year. If you don’t have an Intentional Life Plan, now’s the time to develop one! Order your copy of “Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” today on Amazon at amzn.to/2kimwEv.
1. Reflect on the year that was
• Look at your Intentional Life Plan and what you accomplished in 2017. Check off life goal Sticky Notes that you achieved. Celebrate what you did!
• Create a bulleted list of your 2017 highlights. Create the list by going back through your photo library* and writing down all your key moments.
• Go through your diary or journal for the year, as well as your calendar, to add other key moments. Think back to other important events, milestones and personal/work/family accomplishments you might have missed, and add those.
2. Assess
• Relish what you accomplished and feel the moments you had! Talk to your partner, spouse, best friend or yourself about what you see.
• Reread your 2017 life goals. Which ones are remaining, and what blocked you from accomplishing them? Do you want to move them to 2018 or another year? One of our workshop alumnae moves her life goals that are no longer relevant to the bottom of her Intentional Life Plan just so she can go back and think about them.
• What crossed your mind during this look back about what you want to do with your life ahead? Did anything get your juices going or your heart fluttering?
3. Plan
• Add life goal Sticky Notes you want to achieve in 2018 and beyond. Evaluate your new life goals and whether they meet the S.M.A.R.T. goal formula.
• Prioritize your life goals for the coming year. What do you want to do in each quarter? Create action steps for each life goal. Discuss with yourself or your partner.
• Go through each goal and make it actionable. What is the first step? Second? Third? Who does what? When will you start? This is key: If your goals aren’t actionable and don’t have steps, they won’t get done.
4. Systematize and calendarize
• Add your goals to the tools you use to keep track of your monthly or daily tasks/goals.
• Schedule on your calendar a repeating monthly appointment to review your life goals. Invite your best friend, spouse or partner to join you in your planning.
• Add the further changes you’ve made and update your Intentional Life Plan.
We humans are such a resilient species—we can always keep striving to improve and live our best lives on this planet.
Have a fantastic year, and enjoy your next trip around the sun!
*Two of our Intentional Life Planning workshop alumnae suggest making a 2018 calendar with your 2017 month-by-month highlights on the corresponding months so you can remember throughout 2018 what you were doing a year ago. iPhoto, Vistaprint and many other services offer calendar photo collages.
