Creating a Personal Life Blueprint

In 2013, I found myself at a challenging point in my life. From the outside things looked picture perfect. I had a great wife, I was leading a church, and I was a foster parent, but I knew something was missing. Internally, I had a lack of peace about how I was leading, and it bothered me greatly. Most of us avoid discomfort, and it was the pain I experienced that drove me to make serious changes.

First, I did what I knew God wanted me to do– pray. Then, I did what I felt God leading me to do. King Solomon said, “Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.”  I believe all planning in your life must begin with Him; prayer and planning should always go hand-in-hand.

For months I searched for a personal coach, and I finally found him through Ministry Coaching International (MCI), a part of the Building Champions family.  I expected him to start with some amazing plan to turn around the ministry I was leading. That was not the plan. He wanted to begin with self-leadership, and he introduced me to the life planning process, which I call the Personal Life Blueprint.

There are many ways one can create a life plan, but here are five ways that have worked for me and thousands of others:

1. Take a day off. Yes, you need a day away from the busyness and distractions of this world. Creating a life blueprint is a very personal thing, so I encourage you to be alone for a bit. Some people can afford to stay at a hotel to make their plan, but there are many other free options that will work. Go to a park, library, or coffee shop. I encourage you to find a place where you can pray and reflect without being interrupted as you go through this process.
2. Figure out your priorities. You have to decide what the most important things in your life are. List them in descending order of importance. Each of these priority accounts will have their own sections where you will define them further. God is my number one priority account, and I believe it should be the same for everyone. Some other suggestions are a spouse, children, self, work, church, education, health, friends, and finances.
3. Make an account for each priority. Each account will describe where you want to be, have a purpose statement, include a scripture, state where you currently are and list goals to get you from where you are to where you want to be. The screenshot below describes each subheading under the account:

Here is an example of a completed health account.

4. Schedule those priorities. Since your goals are S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound), you should be able to insert them into your calendar. Whatever calendar you use, start by placing what is most important. If you are married, you should go over your calendar with your spouse.
5. Review weekly. There should be some method to make sure you are staying on top of what is most important. This is where the weekly review comes in. There are many things that can be done as you prepare for the upcoming week, but reviewing your Personal Life Blueprint and calendar is a must. I have written a more detailed post on the weekly review.

This may seem a little overwhelming at first; I know it was for me. However, I can’t say enough about how my life has changed for the better since I implemented this process. I have improved personally and at leading my family and church because I decided to be a better steward of the time God has given me.

If you are looking for greater accountability, I have a few one-on-one coaching spots open. Creating a life plan, business plan, and weekly rhythm are a few of the key things we will work on.

Action Step: Take out your calendar and see when you can schedule some time off to create your Personal Life Blueprint. What is the day and time that works for you?

Photo Courtesy of Adobe Stock