Whoa… I realize even for the organized and responsible person a life plan can sound intimidating. After all, aren’t there so many unexpected events? But here’s a thought for those of you that have narrowed your focus and turned your car into a rolling university like I mentioned when I asked Who Has Time For That? That focus and balance fits into your life plan.  Here’s how.

Teachers like Zig Ziglar has something he calls the “wheel of life.”

The seven spokes on the wheel represent different areas in our lives that must be balanced for our lives to turn evenly. He says that unless you have yourself in shape in a variety of ways, then you are in no shape to help and serve others.

A great resource to help you create balance in your life is Life Plan by Michael Hyatt. (Visit Michael Hyatt’s Blog for a short video introduction.)

Hyatt’s “Life Plan” encapsulates so many other valuable resources.  Hyatt suggests that the key is to begin with the end in mind. He encourages you to picture your funeral and what individuals, or groups of people, will say about you. In his list of groups and individuals he suggests God, yourself, your spouse, children, friends, career, finances and ministry as categories.

While creating your Life Plan, you must come up with your own list and then rank them in terms of your priority and write a statement or goal about how you want to be remembered by them. Then set out a detailed action plan how you are going to achieve this. Look at this list each Sunday night to plan the next week and every four months to plan the next months. It will help you set your priorities for your activities and the balance that will flow is the freedom to reject choices that don’t fulfill your plan

The following are excerpts from Michael’s “Life Plan” material as he says it better than I could:

“Sadly, I have met very few people who have a plan for their life. Most are passive spectators, watching their lives unfold, one day at a time. They are reactive rather than proactive. … They may plan their careers, the building of a new home or even a vacation, but it never occurs to them to plan their life. … I believe that this is why so many people end up discouraged, disillusioned and wondering what went wrong. They arrived at the wrong destination. … The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. You can live your life on purpose by creating your own personal life plan.”

He goes on to add:

“Why do you need a life plan? Three reasons:

1. It will give you clarity about where your life is headed;
2. It will keep you in balance when things get crazy;
3. It will give you peace of mind, knowing you are addressing those aspects of your life that matter most.”

It only takes one day to figure out your priorities and how you are going to see them lived out so that people remember you for the things you want to be remembered for.

The number one regret of people on their death bed is:  “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”[1]

Attitude                    Do you want to be remembered for what you intentionally lived your life for?

Action                       Take the time write your Life Plan and discover how to gain more balance in your life.

How would a Life Plan give you balance?

[1] http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2011/05/31/the-top-5-regrets-people-make-on-their-deathbeds/is