Life Plans

Parents plan our early childhood for us.  They teach us to walk, how to dress ourselves, and how to read.  They expose us to friends and activities and they send us to school.  From age 5-18, the plan is pretty simple and pretty clear – go to school, do the best you can.  Some parents add a few years onto the plan and encourage kids to go to college.  A kid who has some skills, talents, or interests may have even chosen a career path.  Those with no interest in college might have a goal to get married or to get a job.  In any event, by age 22-24, a lot of people have completed the plan and ask themselves, “Now what?”

Well, not it is time for the young adult to make a plan for him or herself, but often, he or she doesn’t know how to do that because until this point, the parent has done all the planning for them.  That’s why many 20 year olds seem fairly irresponsible.  Many of them have no plan.  They think they’re “done,” having completed the plan their parents laid out for them and now it’s time to celebrate!

A number of young people find themselves approaching 30, still with no plan.  Some have partied their 20’s away, others have just worked, and they may even have their family well underway, but still no further plan.

Well, 30 turns into 40 turns into 50 before you know it, and if you still don’t have a plan, all you are is older.  You start to realize that more than half of your life slipped away from you and that no one was steering the ship.  This is often when people find themselves adrift in their lives, unhappy with what they’ve created for themselves through their random, unplanned actions.

The solution is to stop living mindlessly right now.  Pause yourself right now, at whatever age you are, and ask yourself what you really want to do or have or accomplish or see or visit or find or repair before your time on the planet is over.  Allow yourself to think big thoughts and dream big dreams.  Think of all the things you’d really like to do and write them down.

Then, narrow your list down to a workable number of items and commit to yourself to start moving actively towards your dreams.  Decide which of the items you will start first, how you will go about it, how long it will take, what it will cost you, what you will gain.

Make a long-term plan for yourself that will take you from where you are today to where you want to be before this is all over.  Of course, you won’t achieve everything on your plan, but if there is nothing on your plan, you’ll be sure to accomplish exactly that – nothing.

Begin living your life intentionally from this day forward.  No more drifting around, letting life happen to you.  Make a plan for yourself and start moving towards your dreams!

Marlo Archer, Ph.D.
Down to Earth Enterprises
1250 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 102
Tempe, AZ 85283
(480) 705-5007