Hey friend,
Since we are talking today about writing out our big life vision, I thought I'd share these appropriate words that landed in my email inbox this week with you. They seem to hit home perfectly with what we're talking about here...
"Although I trust in God's plans, timing, and goodness... I often struggle with the desire to grasp for a well-laid out blueprint of exactly how things will turn out. I want to know the details. I want to be in control! When we encounter God as the Word, we don't need the details. We, in fact, don't need control. His words unfold in our hearts and in our minds and we can't quite understand it, but everything begins to make sense. Our thoughts are in the proper place, our heart is at peace and that which we couldn't see becomes clear before us."
God has the power to speak directly to our hearts, and since He is the Word - this is all we need. It gives us that unshakable peace that we need to go on and move forward. We may not have ALL the details, but that picture will become clearer and clearer to us the more we Seek Him, the more we Abide, and the more we Obey. I truly believe it. He loves us, and we can trust Him.
What things has God spoken to your heart in these past few weeks? Is there something you feel like He's asking of you, an area where you need to obey? Has He shown you a glimpse of His vision for you... in the coming weeks, year, or just your future in general?
I'll share my answers to these questions and some of the things God has spoken to me in my next email. At the time of writing this series a few years ago, God had been speaking to my heart so so much about this, and just as he gave me the direction for which he wanted it to go, I began to see posts and hear podcast episodes on this exact topic. So it was a very timely message, I suppose.
One of those was Kelsey Van Kirk's podcast The Better Life Project and her episode of "How to Create Your Life Plan". You are welcome to go and listen to this episode. She didn't have her points listed in the show notes, so I took the time to re-listen to the episode and make my own notes, which I've provided for you here. They're very practical and spot-on with what we're trying to do here.
I also recommend writing in specific scriptures or words God has spoken to you over each of the areas if He has done so. We've been abiding, seeking to obey, and asking Him to give us vision, so it's now time to write those things down.
How to Create Your Life Plan
Step 1: Evaluate.
To figure out where you're going, you have to know where you've been and where you are now.
Look at all of the major categories... your physical health, emotional health, mental health, spiritual health, your relationships, friendships, your family, your marriage, your parenting, work life, home life, etc. Which areas could use some improvement?
If you need a tool to help you with this, My Vision Worksheets are perfect!
Create a Life Circle – Assess and evaluate ALL the main areas of your life. This tool gives you a great visual to see where you are now and re-evaluate later to see your progress in an easy way!
Step 2: Figure out where you are going.
“We want to be the person who everything we do in life prevails because because everything we have sought to do in life aligns with God's purpose for us. When our vision aligns with God's vision for our life, we can know that we're where we are supposed to be and doing our best with what we have where God has put us.”
Go back through the same categories and write down what you envision for your life. What do you want your life to look like and feel like and be like?
Step 3: Identify what's most important.
What are your priorities? Since you've already mapped out your vision for where you want to go, this step should come a little easier for you. Look at all of your categories two at a time as if you had them on a balance or scale to see which one is most valuable and important.
Determine Your Core Values – Find out what’s truly important to you in life…what really matters. Then, you can begin to use that as a filter for making great decisions when it comes to your time and your priorities.
This is also a section included in the Vision Worksheets. ;-)
Step 4: Figure out what you want to achieve and why.
This is for your goals. You have to know why you are setting goals. How are these goals going to propel me forward towards this vision for my life? Take each of your categories and see where your gaps are... from where you are now to where you want to be. How can you fill those gaps by setting a goal?
Step 5: Make an action plan.
Break down your goals and make them actionable! My Goal-Setting Worksheets are perfect for helping you do this!
This Goal-Setting Pack is NOT your average Goal-Setting! I give you TWO different methods for effective goal-setting, and I give you worksheets to work through that entire thought process FOR EVERY SINGLE GOAL YOU SET!
I help you think it through and break it down!Then, you’ll do a Yearly Overview to make sure you’re not focusing on too many goals at once. It’s important to spread it all out so you can really focus on one area at a time!
You’ll review your goals every month! You’ll have Monthly Goals where you write in what you need to accomplish that month, what you need to be working on weekly, and what daily habits you need to track.
Each season, you will come back and assess where you are. You’ll be able to visibly see the growth progress you’ve made.
So, these are very practical steps for writing out your vision a.k.a. "your life plan" as Kelsey calls it. Next, I will share my own Vision with how I actually took each of these steps to a personal level so you'll have an example to go by. Of course, your vision does not have to be the same as mine, and you may have a slightly different approach to writing out your vision which is okay too. Go ahead and get started. I'd love to hear from you some of the things God has spoken to you about your upcoming season and your future with Him!
Update from Last Week’s Goals:
1. Do 3-4 workouts. (I did one. It was a busy week.)
Continue with my simplified Cleanse diet and finish it up this week. (done!)
Continue reading, note-taking, and journaling through the book I’ve been reading through this year, In Want and Plenty by Meredith McDaniels. (done!)
Begin Awaken Devotional by Priscilla Shirer… 90 Days with the God who Speaks. (done!)
Bake homemade cinnamon rolls. These are the last of the gifts I’ll be putting together. (done!)
Family Goals
Read Christmas books with the kids this week. (We didn’t read a single Christmas book this year. Just keeping it real here.)
Complete our last day of home school work before a holiday break. (done!)
Work on our Advent projects this week. (eh… we called it good enough.)
Possibly host Christmas Eve meal… maybe brunch? (done!)
Bake and decorate cookies with the kids. (done!)
This Week’s Goals:
Habits I’m Tracking & Working On…
Workout
Log Meals
Weigh
Skincare
This is all part of a plan I came up with for myself… to take care of myself. The logging meals and weighing are just a part of holding myself accountable and keeping things in check. Logging meals has really helped me to see the foods I’m putting in my body and weighing each day shows me how those foods affect me and either help me reach my goals or don’t. I had my scale put away for a long time because it used to upset me when I saw no changes time after time. It’s just been a long process for me of learning what works for me and what doesn’t. Life has changed for me quite a bit since I lost weight the last time. This is just me tracking the data as I’m going along, and it excites me now instead of upsetting me.Continue reading, note-taking, and journaling through the book I’ve been reading through this year, In Want and Plenty by Meredith McDaniels.
Continue reading through the Awaken Devotional by Priscilla Shirer… 90 Days with the God who Speaks.
Work on 2021 Vision and Goal-Setting Plans. I can’t wait to share these with you!
Ship gifts to out-of-town family members we didn’t get to see during Christmas.
Wallpaper the Master Bath.
Plan our next home school term.
Update our Debt-Snowball Calculator and make debt-payoff plans for 2021.
Website & Blog
Memberships
Shop Page
Podcast Page
Facebook Page
Instagram Page
**This email may contain affiliate links. This means that I earn a small commission for purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. I appreciate all of your support in this way.