Lee Weinstein's Blog
April 15, 2018
Why Is Writing a Life Plan Terrifying for Some People?
There have been so many great learnings since we published “Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” (available at my link text). Thank you all for your comments and sharing.
One thing that’s come up for several people is that the idea of writing a life plan—and answering the questions in Step 1, “Uncover Your Life’s Wishes”—is very scary. One person commented that they didn’t have answers for many of the questions.
Two CEOs told me they were fantastic at creating plans for their businesses, but that creating one for themselves caused them to freeze.
I was speaking recently to a good friend, Tracy, who coaches companies and CEOs, and asked her why she thought some business leaders found this planning process scary.
“For so many business leaders, their whole lives have been about their work and careers. They’ve neglected their personal lives, so the idea of looking at their personal lives and the choices they’ve made is intimidating,” she said.
If you’re feeling blocked, or can’t answer some of the questions posed in Step 1, check out the tips listed on page 47 of “Write, Open, Act”—for instance, maybe start a meditation practice or a daily journaling process, or see a therapist or hire a coach like Tracy.
One of the most important books in my life is “Letters to a Young Poet” by Rainer Maria Rilke. In the book, he advises:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
“Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” and our video tutorial (sold separately) are available at my link text
One thing that’s come up for several people is that the idea of writing a life plan—and answering the questions in Step 1, “Uncover Your Life’s Wishes”—is very scary. One person commented that they didn’t have answers for many of the questions.
Two CEOs told me they were fantastic at creating plans for their businesses, but that creating one for themselves caused them to freeze.
I was speaking recently to a good friend, Tracy, who coaches companies and CEOs, and asked her why she thought some business leaders found this planning process scary.
“For so many business leaders, their whole lives have been about their work and careers. They’ve neglected their personal lives, so the idea of looking at their personal lives and the choices they’ve made is intimidating,” she said.
If you’re feeling blocked, or can’t answer some of the questions posed in Step 1, check out the tips listed on page 47 of “Write, Open, Act”—for instance, maybe start a meditation practice or a daily journaling process, or see a therapist or hire a coach like Tracy.
One of the most important books in my life is “Letters to a Young Poet” by Rainer Maria Rilke. In the book, he advises:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
“Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” and our video tutorial (sold separately) are available at my link text
March 30, 2018
What 177 People With Life Plans Say About Their Value
With the release of “Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” on Amazon, we have been especially interested to see how people use life planning in their everyday lives.
When DHM Research shared with us the results of their survey showing that a third of Americans have written plans for their lives, it was inspiring to read what those who have written life plans say about their value.
Here’s how they responded, verbatim, when asked, “In what ways is your written life plan valuable?”
1. A life plan provides central guiding principles for the periphery of life, so it makes it easy to stay on course.
2. A life plan will enable you to maintain balance.
3. A life plan will help you clarify your most important priorities.
4. A lot of planning went into my life plan. No way to remember all this long-term. Having a written plan allows long-term reference.
5. A written life plan allows you to focus completely on your life plan. It will help you adjust on the go and is great for planning purposes. Writing something down is also a great memory reminder.
6. Always gives me a goal to keep working toward and evaluate past goals’ completion.
7. Looking at the written life plan makes us more motivated toward committing to the plan.
8. As I get older, it’s getting harder and harder to remember things. Writing down a life plan helps me focus on what’s important in life.
9. Because it helps to direct how I want things to go.
10. Because it’s a good guidance.
11. Enables life balance.
12. Ensures financial security during retirement.
13. Even though these professionals routinely create financial plans for their clients, most had never considered creating a life plan for themselves. It was a new idea. They wanted to know why I thought this was important. I explained that 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.
14. Every time when I saw the writing I became inspired. It gives me energy to work hard for my plan.
15. Every time when you see your plan, it makes you push harder toward it.
16. For inspiration and to identify where I need to be at certain points in my life, or after a major change, to be sure I am on the right path.
17. Goals and objectives and years.
18. Handwritten, digitally. Priorities, maintaining balance, identifying and addressing current realities.
19. Having financial goals and then planning how to meet them through regular contributions, plus having planned spending objectives and a timeline so we save up instead of go into debt.
20. Helps me stay focused.
21. Helps me stay focused/motivated, reminders, self-evaluating.
22. Helps to finish the assigned target.
23. Helps to remind me to stay on track. Plus, it helps keep me to budget with investments.
24. I can follow easily as per plan. Whenever I have doubt, I can clear it easily. My family also knows about the plan and follows it.
25. I can organize my future.
26. I can see how I viewed things in the past. I also can have a goal to work toward.
27. I want to visit countries abroad and enjoy the rest of my life, and I plan for it and save money for it. My wife and I will enjoy it together.
28. I don’t believe it’s useless to have a “concrete” life plan because life is too random and unknowable. But a written plan is useful in that it helps to keep one grounded and focused on goals/the things that are important.
29. I feel that by writing down my plans, be it life or personal goals (which encompass life essentially), they are more grounded and hold more value. I am 34 years old, and actually WRITING things down seems to really help me to commit.
30. I feel written goals are more likely to be fulfilled.
31. I have financial and personal goals that I wish to achieve by certain chronological milestones.
32. I have goals that I set for myself and my family about 15 years ago. My partner and I wrote those down so that we can keep track of what goals we have accomplished and also how to reach those goals.
33. I save more money for my future, land and for my future purpose.
34. I tape part of it to my bathroom mirror.
35. I think it’s a good blueprint to follow, even if it’s not completed to the letter. In my experience, having a guiding hand has always been one of my pillars of success as I’ve gotten older. Sometimes you need something to ground you and refocus your efforts.
36. I use it to keep track of my goals I want to achieve. It just keeps me on track. I revise, but it’s my guiding light.
37. I want to be successful in my life.
38. I want to earn more money, upgrade my family position and make my family proud.
39. If my life were to come to an end, others would know my vision. Plus, overall it is great to set goals.
40. Improve the economical level and save money for my future purpose.
41. In order to reach fulfillment in life.
42. It keeps me on the path.
43. It allows me to have milestones by which I can gauge my progress.
44. It allows me to make goals and set them, and I can also adjust it as needed. I always have the plan to fall back on.
45. 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.
46. It allows me to see my future goals and be able to track how close I am to accomplishing them.
47. It allows me to stay focused and goal oriented.
48. It inspires me to work hard and never give up.
49. It can help me take care of my responsibilities and obligations for the rest of my life.
50. It consists of important goals and helps to maintain positive reinforcement.
51. It gives me guidance on what goals I need to set to accomplish the things that I set out to achieve.
52. It gives me a guideline. It reminds me of what I think is important.
53. It gives me a sense of stability and a sense of goals and knowing that things will be taken care of.
54. It gives me a structured path to live my life.
55. It gives me a written map of where I want my life to go.
56. It gives me daily direction on the things that are important for me to achieve and work toward.
57. It gives me goals to work toward and keeps my life on track.
58. It gives me motivation to complete the things I want in life.
59. It gives me something to look back upon, so I can see how far along I am and what I need to work on. Things in writing feel more concrete.
60. It gives structure to my daily activities and gives me goals to strive for.
61. It guides me in life and gives me a clear path to follow.
62. It helps me create and meet goals. It keeps me motivated to create a great future for my family.
63. It helps guide me day by day and to remember what is important to me in my life.
64. It helps me complete my goals and makes my life more enjoyable in the long run.
65. It helps me focus on my life goals, and it also allows me to know when certain benchmarks are made toward these goals.
66. It helps me keep in mind priorities and big goals at the end of the year, when I plan the following one.
67. It helps me maintain focus and ensures I save funds for the future.
68. It helps me see exactly what I need to do and when I need to do it.
69. It helps me stay focused on my big long-term goals.
70. It helps me stay focused on the goals that will allow me to have the quality of life I want to have in the future.
71. It helps me stay focused, and to clarify. Clear, measurable goals.
72. It helps me stay organized and do things the way they are meant to be done. A life plan helps me keep an eye on my health and financial situation.
73. It helps me to focus and to stay on track.
74. It helps me keep on track to achieve my life goals.
75. It helps me to know what goals I want to accomplish.
76. It helps me visualize my goals.
77. It helps push me in the directions I need to go and stay on task. I often have to rewrite it.
78. It helps to bring clarity to my life goals. A written plan is also useful while periodically reviewing the goals. It helps me assess whether I can realistically achieve the goals that I have set for myself.
79. It helps to stay focused even in the rough times. 80. I am always moving a step forward to reach my goals.
81. It helps to write my goals and to see them on paper.
82. It helps you to set goals for yourself. You don’t have to reach every goal, but it gives you a path.
83. It is a guide to what I need to concentrate on and it keeps me centered on what I want to accomplish.
84. It is a reminder to me of what’s important. It keeps me focused and from doing anything impulsive.
85. It is a roadmap and benchmark for me to review each year. It helps me keep on track.
86. It is best for achieving.
87. It is like a mission statement which keeps my core values and goals in focus in life.
88. It is something that I look back on for motivation to reach certain goals. A good example is that people do not like to save because they will not see the benefit of it until much later in life.
89. Looking at the plan allows me to keep my eyes on the prize.
90. It is valuable as it keeps me on track to achieving my goals little by little—short-term to long-term goals.
91. It is valuable because I used it to set myself up for alternate plans in case I have any sort of setback. I also have a plan for acquiring skills that may help me in the future or be an alternate plan if needed.
92. It is valuable because this plan will allow me to live life debt free and save toward retirement at an early age. When I get married one day, it will also allow me to save money toward my future children’s college funds so I can hopefully send them to school debt free.
93. It is valuable to me because it helps me stay focused on my long-term goals so I can better plan things that help me achieve them. Or if I am set back in some way, I still have determination to follow through in the future as I can always refocus myself by looking at my life plan.
94. It is valuable to my persistence and steps to accomplish goals.
95. It keeps me accountable of my actions and what I have planned out.
96. It keeps me focused on what is important in my life, as well as being able to know what steps I need to take despite setbacks or unexpected situations that will sway me away from goals.
97. It keeps me focused and motivated.
98. It keeps me focused on my goals, and also my husband is aware of it and we work together toward our goals.
99. It keeps me focused on my ultimate goals.
100. It keeps me on track, and if I feel like I am getting nowhere, I can look back at my past accomplishments.
101. It keeps us on schedule in achieving goals.
102. It lists my goals and aspirations.
103. It makes it feel “real” when you can physically see it on paper and touch it.
104. It makes me motivated to be better in life.
105. It makes me want to hold myself to that written plan. If I just said it out loud, I wouldn’t feel motivated, and thus that written piece makes me want to accomplish it.
106. It outlines my caloric and financial budget.
107. It provides a road map to follow and guidance for decision making.
108. It provides me a set of plans to follow and provides the goals I want to live a good life the American way.
109. It reminds me of my goals and what I am working toward.
110. It reminds me of the goals I set up and sometimes provides me with insight on how my thinking has changed throughout the years. One goal that was relevant five years ago means much less to me now, for example.
111. It reminds me of what is important in life, and that there is still a lot left to do.
112. It reminds me of what I need to still achieve and helps with motivation.
113. It serves as a guide.
114. It will take care of my wife. It makes me live life to the fullest when I think about it.
115. It’s a script to follow and remind myself of my goals.
116. It’s actually in prose form and is written in a way that I can easily remember and recite like a prayer. It helps me stay on track, especially when I feel like I’m about to encounter a fork in the road where I must make a decision that could have a significant effect on the quality of my life.
117. It’s honest, hard working and mapped out monthly. It’s very realistic.
118. It’s valuable because it keeps me on track and keeps me level headed. Also when I’m having a bad day I’ll read over the life plan to remind me of things I should be grateful for, and to not let things get to me in the moment.
119. It’s more of a bucket list, but it’s crazy, outlandish things I would love to do.
120. Keeps me on the right track, even when I’m feeling down, busy, overwhelmed with work or whatever. Just something to help me remember why I’m doing it all.
121. Keeps my mind focused and free from distraction. Meditating and musing on my goals each morning leads to a more productive day.
122. Keeps the goals I’ve set for myself open and easy to view.
123, Leaves the questions out. Makes decisions easier.
124. My life is very smart. My life is very unforgettable.
125. My life plan allows me to plan ahead and stay organized.
126. My life plan enables my ambition to become an entrepreneur. Successfully I will start a new business to get my life to shine and sharpen.
127. My life plan goes beyond the terms and conditions of my will. It explains in detail where all of my investments are, their approximate worth and who gets what in the event of my demise. It will speak for me when I am no longer able to speak for myself.
128. My life plan is a great document that helps me rethink my life in terms of the perspective of my ideal self. It allows me to stay on track for the person I want to be.
129. My life plan is dynamic and subject to changes after a certain period of time. It is valuable, as it is a personal compass which guides me through life.
130. My life plan means to reflect a helpful person who works hard.
131. My life plan motivates me to work every day to achieve those goals. In the time of depression, the life plan re-energizes me to focus on my goals and work. Very helpful for me.
132. My plan is valuable in the sense that it makes me live with more consciousness and in a systematic manner.
133. My written plan helps to keep me focused on what my goals are. If my goals change dramatically, I can review the cause(s).
134. Not deviating and forgetting the planning in future and day-to-day activities. We set a target and route to achieve something in life or anything else. A life plan is valuable, and we must work to fulfill and achieve the target.
135. Of course in a positive way. I have planned my future well and in a secure way.
136. On my mobile notepad, I describe steps that I have passed through and how much more time I need to hit the plan.
137. Preplan of my future life.
138. Public speaking; living an open-minded life and planning.
139. Reassuring oneself without commitment on paper leaves room for laziness.
140. Reminds me of long-term and medium-term goals.
141. Save money.
142. Saving for the future.
143. Sets goals. Has plans. Shows family members the right path.
144. Settled life and good health.
145. Simple diary.
146. So that my loved ones know what my plans are and the steps I am willing to take to get there. They can hold me accountable.
147. Sustainable life.
148. Takes away decisions from people.
149. The life plan helps lay out future goals and provides a game plan to reach them.
150. The plan not only provides guidance for me and decisions I will make, it also helps to guide family members should I be unable to make my own decisions. What’s more, the plan lets others know what I would like to accomplish and could still accomplish if I were physically unable to function (e.g., paying for college tuition for grandchildren).
151. The written life plan will fulfill in all ways in my old age, particularly for my health.
152. This way you are able to remember what your plans are.
153. To ensure family security.
154. To ensure the safety of my family and my properties.
155. To execute the written plan is easy. We don’t forget anything if we plan well.
156. To know about the struggle I have faced.
157. To live my life full of pleasure and luxuries.
158. To prepare for all contingencies.
159. To reach my goals and dreams.
160. To reaffirm my values.
161. To save in present and spend my savings with my lovable wife.
162. To secure family and properties.
163. Up to my end of life, I have to be secure with my money.
164. Usually, I feel that when I write something down, it’s easier to focus on it.
165. Very easy.
166. Very valuable for me.
167. Well, I have planned well for my future life, and 168. I am saving every penny. I am not wasting my money in any way.
169. Well, by my lights, this may not apply to everyone. Some minds like mine are “combinatorially” formatted, and thus enjoy the purposeful orientation that issue from scripting myself a master gameplay design for almost everything I take on, small or big, if only for the sake of being certain that the stuff is limpid, out of my very busy prefrontal cortex circuits, securely filed and squared away. This strategy spares down room for my computing and processing power. I can always go back and adaptively edit/update the master as things evolve. None of this is usually either too involved or complicated. Sophistication levels depend upon the manifold particularities.
170. When I am confused about the next step, my life plan helps to keep me on task.
171. When I am lost, I can look at my notes to remember my path. When I am confused, I can review them to remind myself why I am trying to do what I’m doing.
172. When I am starting to feel lost, it puts me in the right direction.
173. When I lose my direction, it reminds me what I found most valuable.
174. When something doesn’t go the way I want it to, I pull it out and remember the big picture.
175. When you write down your goals, you are more likely to make those goals happen.
176. Without a plan and goals, you’re wasting a lot of your life.
177. Writing a business plan or putting together an investor deck allows you to think more clearly about what you’re doing and where you are going.
Yes, it gives courage and self-confidence.
“Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” and our video tutorial (sold separately) are available at www.writeopenact.com and Amazon.
When DHM Research shared with us the results of their survey showing that a third of Americans have written plans for their lives, it was inspiring to read what those who have written life plans say about their value.
Here’s how they responded, verbatim, when asked, “In what ways is your written life plan valuable?”
1. A life plan provides central guiding principles for the periphery of life, so it makes it easy to stay on course.
2. A life plan will enable you to maintain balance.
3. A life plan will help you clarify your most important priorities.
4. A lot of planning went into my life plan. No way to remember all this long-term. Having a written plan allows long-term reference.
5. A written life plan allows you to focus completely on your life plan. It will help you adjust on the go and is great for planning purposes. Writing something down is also a great memory reminder.
6. Always gives me a goal to keep working toward and evaluate past goals’ completion.
7. Looking at the written life plan makes us more motivated toward committing to the plan.
8. As I get older, it’s getting harder and harder to remember things. Writing down a life plan helps me focus on what’s important in life.
9. Because it helps to direct how I want things to go.
10. Because it’s a good guidance.
11. Enables life balance.
12. Ensures financial security during retirement.
13. Even though these professionals routinely create financial plans for their clients, most had never considered creating a life plan for themselves. It was a new idea. They wanted to know why I thought this was important. I explained that 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.
14. Every time when I saw the writing I became inspired. It gives me energy to work hard for my plan.
15. Every time when you see your plan, it makes you push harder toward it.
16. For inspiration and to identify where I need to be at certain points in my life, or after a major change, to be sure I am on the right path.
17. Goals and objectives and years.
18. Handwritten, digitally. Priorities, maintaining balance, identifying and addressing current realities.
19. Having financial goals and then planning how to meet them through regular contributions, plus having planned spending objectives and a timeline so we save up instead of go into debt.
20. Helps me stay focused.
21. Helps me stay focused/motivated, reminders, self-evaluating.
22. Helps to finish the assigned target.
23. Helps to remind me to stay on track. Plus, it helps keep me to budget with investments.
24. I can follow easily as per plan. Whenever I have doubt, I can clear it easily. My family also knows about the plan and follows it.
25. I can organize my future.
26. I can see how I viewed things in the past. I also can have a goal to work toward.
27. I want to visit countries abroad and enjoy the rest of my life, and I plan for it and save money for it. My wife and I will enjoy it together.
28. I don’t believe it’s useless to have a “concrete” life plan because life is too random and unknowable. But a written plan is useful in that it helps to keep one grounded and focused on goals/the things that are important.
29. I feel that by writing down my plans, be it life or personal goals (which encompass life essentially), they are more grounded and hold more value. I am 34 years old, and actually WRITING things down seems to really help me to commit.
30. I feel written goals are more likely to be fulfilled.
31. I have financial and personal goals that I wish to achieve by certain chronological milestones.
32. I have goals that I set for myself and my family about 15 years ago. My partner and I wrote those down so that we can keep track of what goals we have accomplished and also how to reach those goals.
33. I save more money for my future, land and for my future purpose.
34. I tape part of it to my bathroom mirror.
35. I think it’s a good blueprint to follow, even if it’s not completed to the letter. In my experience, having a guiding hand has always been one of my pillars of success as I’ve gotten older. Sometimes you need something to ground you and refocus your efforts.
36. I use it to keep track of my goals I want to achieve. It just keeps me on track. I revise, but it’s my guiding light.
37. I want to be successful in my life.
38. I want to earn more money, upgrade my family position and make my family proud.
39. If my life were to come to an end, others would know my vision. Plus, overall it is great to set goals.
40. Improve the economical level and save money for my future purpose.
41. In order to reach fulfillment in life.
42. It keeps me on the path.
43. It allows me to have milestones by which I can gauge my progress.
44. It allows me to make goals and set them, and I can also adjust it as needed. I always have the plan to fall back on.
45. 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.
46. It allows me to see my future goals and be able to track how close I am to accomplishing them.
47. It allows me to stay focused and goal oriented.
48. It inspires me to work hard and never give up.
49. It can help me take care of my responsibilities and obligations for the rest of my life.
50. It consists of important goals and helps to maintain positive reinforcement.
51. It gives me guidance on what goals I need to set to accomplish the things that I set out to achieve.
52. It gives me a guideline. It reminds me of what I think is important.
53. It gives me a sense of stability and a sense of goals and knowing that things will be taken care of.
54. It gives me a structured path to live my life.
55. It gives me a written map of where I want my life to go.
56. It gives me daily direction on the things that are important for me to achieve and work toward.
57. It gives me goals to work toward and keeps my life on track.
58. It gives me motivation to complete the things I want in life.
59. It gives me something to look back upon, so I can see how far along I am and what I need to work on. Things in writing feel more concrete.
60. It gives structure to my daily activities and gives me goals to strive for.
61. It guides me in life and gives me a clear path to follow.
62. It helps me create and meet goals. It keeps me motivated to create a great future for my family.
63. It helps guide me day by day and to remember what is important to me in my life.
64. It helps me complete my goals and makes my life more enjoyable in the long run.
65. It helps me focus on my life goals, and it also allows me to know when certain benchmarks are made toward these goals.
66. It helps me keep in mind priorities and big goals at the end of the year, when I plan the following one.
67. It helps me maintain focus and ensures I save funds for the future.
68. It helps me see exactly what I need to do and when I need to do it.
69. It helps me stay focused on my big long-term goals.
70. It helps me stay focused on the goals that will allow me to have the quality of life I want to have in the future.
71. It helps me stay focused, and to clarify. Clear, measurable goals.
72. It helps me stay organized and do things the way they are meant to be done. A life plan helps me keep an eye on my health and financial situation.
73. It helps me to focus and to stay on track.
74. It helps me keep on track to achieve my life goals.
75. It helps me to know what goals I want to accomplish.
76. It helps me visualize my goals.
77. It helps push me in the directions I need to go and stay on task. I often have to rewrite it.
78. It helps to bring clarity to my life goals. A written plan is also useful while periodically reviewing the goals. It helps me assess whether I can realistically achieve the goals that I have set for myself.
79. It helps to stay focused even in the rough times. 80. I am always moving a step forward to reach my goals.
81. It helps to write my goals and to see them on paper.
82. It helps you to set goals for yourself. You don’t have to reach every goal, but it gives you a path.
83. It is a guide to what I need to concentrate on and it keeps me centered on what I want to accomplish.
84. It is a reminder to me of what’s important. It keeps me focused and from doing anything impulsive.
85. It is a roadmap and benchmark for me to review each year. It helps me keep on track.
86. It is best for achieving.
87. It is like a mission statement which keeps my core values and goals in focus in life.
88. It is something that I look back on for motivation to reach certain goals. A good example is that people do not like to save because they will not see the benefit of it until much later in life.
89. Looking at the plan allows me to keep my eyes on the prize.
90. It is valuable as it keeps me on track to achieving my goals little by little—short-term to long-term goals.
91. It is valuable because I used it to set myself up for alternate plans in case I have any sort of setback. I also have a plan for acquiring skills that may help me in the future or be an alternate plan if needed.
92. It is valuable because this plan will allow me to live life debt free and save toward retirement at an early age. When I get married one day, it will also allow me to save money toward my future children’s college funds so I can hopefully send them to school debt free.
93. It is valuable to me because it helps me stay focused on my long-term goals so I can better plan things that help me achieve them. Or if I am set back in some way, I still have determination to follow through in the future as I can always refocus myself by looking at my life plan.
94. It is valuable to my persistence and steps to accomplish goals.
95. It keeps me accountable of my actions and what I have planned out.
96. It keeps me focused on what is important in my life, as well as being able to know what steps I need to take despite setbacks or unexpected situations that will sway me away from goals.
97. It keeps me focused and motivated.
98. It keeps me focused on my goals, and also my husband is aware of it and we work together toward our goals.
99. It keeps me focused on my ultimate goals.
100. It keeps me on track, and if I feel like I am getting nowhere, I can look back at my past accomplishments.
101. It keeps us on schedule in achieving goals.
102. It lists my goals and aspirations.
103. It makes it feel “real” when you can physically see it on paper and touch it.
104. It makes me motivated to be better in life.
105. It makes me want to hold myself to that written plan. If I just said it out loud, I wouldn’t feel motivated, and thus that written piece makes me want to accomplish it.
106. It outlines my caloric and financial budget.
107. It provides a road map to follow and guidance for decision making.
108. It provides me a set of plans to follow and provides the goals I want to live a good life the American way.
109. It reminds me of my goals and what I am working toward.
110. It reminds me of the goals I set up and sometimes provides me with insight on how my thinking has changed throughout the years. One goal that was relevant five years ago means much less to me now, for example.
111. It reminds me of what is important in life, and that there is still a lot left to do.
112. It reminds me of what I need to still achieve and helps with motivation.
113. It serves as a guide.
114. It will take care of my wife. It makes me live life to the fullest when I think about it.
115. It’s a script to follow and remind myself of my goals.
116. It’s actually in prose form and is written in a way that I can easily remember and recite like a prayer. It helps me stay on track, especially when I feel like I’m about to encounter a fork in the road where I must make a decision that could have a significant effect on the quality of my life.
117. It’s honest, hard working and mapped out monthly. It’s very realistic.
118. It’s valuable because it keeps me on track and keeps me level headed. Also when I’m having a bad day I’ll read over the life plan to remind me of things I should be grateful for, and to not let things get to me in the moment.
119. It’s more of a bucket list, but it’s crazy, outlandish things I would love to do.
120. Keeps me on the right track, even when I’m feeling down, busy, overwhelmed with work or whatever. Just something to help me remember why I’m doing it all.
121. Keeps my mind focused and free from distraction. Meditating and musing on my goals each morning leads to a more productive day.
122. Keeps the goals I’ve set for myself open and easy to view.
123, Leaves the questions out. Makes decisions easier.
124. My life is very smart. My life is very unforgettable.
125. My life plan allows me to plan ahead and stay organized.
126. My life plan enables my ambition to become an entrepreneur. Successfully I will start a new business to get my life to shine and sharpen.
127. My life plan goes beyond the terms and conditions of my will. It explains in detail where all of my investments are, their approximate worth and who gets what in the event of my demise. It will speak for me when I am no longer able to speak for myself.
128. My life plan is a great document that helps me rethink my life in terms of the perspective of my ideal self. It allows me to stay on track for the person I want to be.
129. My life plan is dynamic and subject to changes after a certain period of time. It is valuable, as it is a personal compass which guides me through life.
130. My life plan means to reflect a helpful person who works hard.
131. My life plan motivates me to work every day to achieve those goals. In the time of depression, the life plan re-energizes me to focus on my goals and work. Very helpful for me.
132. My plan is valuable in the sense that it makes me live with more consciousness and in a systematic manner.
133. My written plan helps to keep me focused on what my goals are. If my goals change dramatically, I can review the cause(s).
134. Not deviating and forgetting the planning in future and day-to-day activities. We set a target and route to achieve something in life or anything else. A life plan is valuable, and we must work to fulfill and achieve the target.
135. Of course in a positive way. I have planned my future well and in a secure way.
136. On my mobile notepad, I describe steps that I have passed through and how much more time I need to hit the plan.
137. Preplan of my future life.
138. Public speaking; living an open-minded life and planning.
139. Reassuring oneself without commitment on paper leaves room for laziness.
140. Reminds me of long-term and medium-term goals.
141. Save money.
142. Saving for the future.
143. Sets goals. Has plans. Shows family members the right path.
144. Settled life and good health.
145. Simple diary.
146. So that my loved ones know what my plans are and the steps I am willing to take to get there. They can hold me accountable.
147. Sustainable life.
148. Takes away decisions from people.
149. The life plan helps lay out future goals and provides a game plan to reach them.
150. The plan not only provides guidance for me and decisions I will make, it also helps to guide family members should I be unable to make my own decisions. What’s more, the plan lets others know what I would like to accomplish and could still accomplish if I were physically unable to function (e.g., paying for college tuition for grandchildren).
151. The written life plan will fulfill in all ways in my old age, particularly for my health.
152. This way you are able to remember what your plans are.
153. To ensure family security.
154. To ensure the safety of my family and my properties.
155. To execute the written plan is easy. We don’t forget anything if we plan well.
156. To know about the struggle I have faced.
157. To live my life full of pleasure and luxuries.
158. To prepare for all contingencies.
159. To reach my goals and dreams.
160. To reaffirm my values.
161. To save in present and spend my savings with my lovable wife.
162. To secure family and properties.
163. Up to my end of life, I have to be secure with my money.
164. Usually, I feel that when I write something down, it’s easier to focus on it.
165. Very easy.
166. Very valuable for me.
167. Well, I have planned well for my future life, and 168. I am saving every penny. I am not wasting my money in any way.
169. Well, by my lights, this may not apply to everyone. Some minds like mine are “combinatorially” formatted, and thus enjoy the purposeful orientation that issue from scripting myself a master gameplay design for almost everything I take on, small or big, if only for the sake of being certain that the stuff is limpid, out of my very busy prefrontal cortex circuits, securely filed and squared away. This strategy spares down room for my computing and processing power. I can always go back and adaptively edit/update the master as things evolve. None of this is usually either too involved or complicated. Sophistication levels depend upon the manifold particularities.
170. When I am confused about the next step, my life plan helps to keep me on task.
171. When I am lost, I can look at my notes to remember my path. When I am confused, I can review them to remind myself why I am trying to do what I’m doing.
172. When I am starting to feel lost, it puts me in the right direction.
173. When I lose my direction, it reminds me what I found most valuable.
174. When something doesn’t go the way I want it to, I pull it out and remember the big picture.
175. When you write down your goals, you are more likely to make those goals happen.
176. Without a plan and goals, you’re wasting a lot of your life.
177. Writing a business plan or putting together an investor deck allows you to think more clearly about what you’re doing and where you are going.
Yes, it gives courage and self-confidence.
“Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” and our video tutorial (sold separately) are available at www.writeopenact.com and Amazon.
February 25, 2018
You Have a Will … Shouldn’t You Have a Life Plan First?
It’s been amazing to discover how many people don’t have written life plans; in fact, life plans and life planning aren’t even part of most people’s everyday vernacular.
We are told to have wills, financial plans, advanced directives, powers of attorney and life insurance. Shouldn’t we have life plans first? (Or shouldn’t they at least be part of the list above?)
As we published “Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook,” I set up a Google Alert to track mentions of “life plan” and “life planning.” It’s been stunning to see how few mentions there have been (mainly around end-of-life planning).
A survey by DHM Research found that 67 percent of Americans do not have a written plan for their lives.
Our lives our valuable, and our time on this planet is finite: What are we doing here? Are you living your greatest life? What do you want to say you accomplished at the end of your life? When I went to Powell’s Books here in Portland, Ore., to see if there were any life planning workbooks, I found none. Same on Amazon. There were life planning books—200 to 300 words long filled with case studies—but nothing that could help someone quickly get down to work building a practical, visual life plan.
“Write, Open, Act” is 100 pages and can be read in an hour or two. The book will help you develop a life plan in four steps:
Step 1: Uncover Your Life’s Wishes
Step 2: Build Your Timeline
Step 3: Turn Your Timeline Into an Actionable Plan
Step 4: Keep to the Plan
We’ve also just created a 24-minute video to accompany the workbook (both sold separately) to help you create your Intentional Life Plan.
Yes, you should definitely have a financial plan and a will, but those should be informed by your life plan. When you see your financial planner, they’ll ask you what you want to do with your life, and what major expenses you see ahead. If you have a life plan, you’ll be able to show them the life your financial plan will enable.
The Beatles sang, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
It could also be sung, ”And in the end, the life you take is equal to the life you make.”
“Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” and our video tutorial (sold separately) are available at writeopenact.com.
We are told to have wills, financial plans, advanced directives, powers of attorney and life insurance. Shouldn’t we have life plans first? (Or shouldn’t they at least be part of the list above?)
As we published “Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook,” I set up a Google Alert to track mentions of “life plan” and “life planning.” It’s been stunning to see how few mentions there have been (mainly around end-of-life planning).
A survey by DHM Research found that 67 percent of Americans do not have a written plan for their lives.
Our lives our valuable, and our time on this planet is finite: What are we doing here? Are you living your greatest life? What do you want to say you accomplished at the end of your life? When I went to Powell’s Books here in Portland, Ore., to see if there were any life planning workbooks, I found none. Same on Amazon. There were life planning books—200 to 300 words long filled with case studies—but nothing that could help someone quickly get down to work building a practical, visual life plan.
“Write, Open, Act” is 100 pages and can be read in an hour or two. The book will help you develop a life plan in four steps:
Step 1: Uncover Your Life’s Wishes
Step 2: Build Your Timeline
Step 3: Turn Your Timeline Into an Actionable Plan
Step 4: Keep to the Plan
We’ve also just created a 24-minute video to accompany the workbook (both sold separately) to help you create your Intentional Life Plan.
Yes, you should definitely have a financial plan and a will, but those should be informed by your life plan. When you see your financial planner, they’ll ask you what you want to do with your life, and what major expenses you see ahead. If you have a life plan, you’ll be able to show them the life your financial plan will enable.
The Beatles sang, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
It could also be sung, ”And in the end, the life you take is equal to the life you make.”
“Write, Open, Act: An Intentional Life Planning Workbook” and our video tutorial (sold separately) are available at writeopenact.com.
December 27, 2017
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.
December 14, 2017
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.
December 1, 2017
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
