6 Golden Rules for Creating Your “Life Plan”

There is something almost magical about a written life plan. Years ago, at the beginning of each year, I would write down my “roles & goals.” Over time, I’ve started revising and expanding that plan every three months. In some ways, it’s a master plan for my year; but, it’s also a prayer journal. As I look back, it’s amazing to see how many goals I’ve achieved and habits I’ve acquired. In many ways, I’m a completely different person because of the discipline of Life Planning.

All throughout the Bible, God has given his people strategic plans. In Genesis 37, God gave Joseph detailed dreams to enable him to become the 2^nd most powerful man on earth. In Exodus 31, God gave Moses a detailed strategy on how to build the tabernacle, and even gave him insight on the exact leaders he should include to pull it off. And in Joshua 6 God gave Joshua a super clear battle strategy on how to approach Jericho. God wants to speak to us about His plans for us! He wants to give us HIS strategy. In fact, for many of us, the very reason we’re discouraged is because we keep approaching our problems in the same old way. And this is not at all what God has planned for us! Jesus himself said, “I came that you might have life to the fullest.” (John 10:10). And, in order to experience this, we’ve GOT to get in sync with God’s plan! But, there are so many of us who don’t know how to go about getting this plan.

So, here’s where we’re headed: I want to explain HOW to write a truly transformational life plan. Some of you are just one habit away from a huge breakthrough in realizing God’s plan for your life. In working through my own life plan hundreds of times over the years, I’ve refined the process down to 6 Golden Rules that will help you maximize the fruitfulness of your life plan.

1. Write down your goals, plans, and dreams.
   • What are the significant roles God has you playing this year?
   • What one thing could you do (or stop doing) that, if you did on a regular basis, would make a tremendous difference in your personal, professional, or spiritual life?
   • If God was to suggest an adjustment in your life today, what do you think He would tell you?
   • What are some goals for each specific role and/or issue?
   • What could be the best imaginable outcome of you achieving these goals?
   • What could potentially stand in the way of accomplishing each goal?
2.  Submit your plan to the Lord through scriptures, mentoring, and prayer
   • Would any of your plans contradict the teachings of scripture? What encouragements or cautions would your spiritual friends give you about your plans?
   • Who are the godly people in your life who have successfully navigated some of the goals and/or problems you are facing? And what are you going to do to earn the right to be around them?
   • After refining your goals through the previous two filters, what does your gut tell you?
3. Convert all your dreams into fun goals…then into small habits
4. Detail your plans TEN times more than you think necessary
5. Positive habits form because of frequency, not quality and quantity
   • What are some tiny “2 minute” habits that would prove to you that you are becoming the person you hope to be?
   • What will be your daily trigger for these habits?
6. Negative habits die because of dissection and displacement
   • What is this bad habit (or sin) my answer to?
   • What would God have me do instead to meet this need?
   • Who or What are the conditions, environments, and triggers for this negative behavior?
   • How can we control our conditions to avoid triggers or pre-decide an alternate response to overcome triggers?

Once you sit down and spend some time truly asking yourself these questions and using these 6 golden rules to write your life plan, you’ll begin to have new clarity and new faith. Our spoken prayers and written plans have power, and when our faith is activated, motivation and miracles follow! When we work on the mess, God works on the miracle. He’s ready to speak to you and ready to move in your life right now. Are you ready to take the next step and create a life plan that coincides with God’s amazing plans for you? Click here for a detailed worksheet that will help you get started!

To watch the sermons that correspond with writing your life plan, see parts 6, 7, and 8 of the teaching series “Changeable,” found here.