Step 1. Setting Life Goals
1 year – 5 years – life goals
December 2019. Perfect timing to reflect on the rapidly passing decade, and to think big picture – what 2020s will bring me? What can I do to live my Best Possible Life?
Am i just floating in the muddy waters of life, completely in mercy of currents and tides? Or am I being a Michael Phelps in this swimming competition?
“I don’t know what I think until I write it down.”
said someone important
Ok, if you are an extrovert, you probably already told your 1-year, 5-year and next 200 years goals to everyone around, and already got feedback how stupid these goals are. But if you are an introvert, chances are you are not discussing personal issues like that too often, so take some time, visualize your future, and write it down.
As marathon runners know, its much easier to endure 26 miles of pain and suffering when you have the course visualized. You keep that image in mind of you, drinking your Gatorade, with the medal around your neck, happy for what you have achieved. This image, and having an idea of what to expect around next corner is what gives your strength.
Of course I’m not that naive to suggest you can control everything in your life. You cant. Things happen to you, bad and good, things that will derail you from your plan, make this plan either in-achievable or not worthy to achieve, and its fine. “F” for flexibility. This is why this exercise is to be repeated every year, I suggest morning of December 31st before your judgment gets clouded by all the champagne that’s coming.
– Ok, I’m sold on having to write down a plan. How do I do it?
Break down whats important to you in life into categories. I suggest the following, you can pick yours:
Family
What’s your ideal family? What kind of partner you want? Kids? What’s your relationship with your parents, siblings, extended family?
Friends
We are social creatures, friends are important. But good ones are not easy to get. Do you have friends that don’t just sing sweet songs into your ears, but actually contribute positively into your development and into your life?
Health
Here I’d be modest. Let’s not talk “lifetime” as the universe often has a wicked sense of humor… but 1yr, 5yr sure we can have goals.
Money
Where are you on the money scale from 0 to 10, 0 being “tons of credit card debt, living pay check to pay check”, and 10 being “eating gold-infused caviar for breakfast”? Where you want to be – 1, 3, 10 years? Here please be realistic, your life plan shouldn’t depend on you winning the “Mega Millions” lottery.
Career
Good career provides your social standing, ways to meet driven people and learn things. I know it’s popular nowadays to wish to retire since you are 18, but I don’t think that’s right, I don’t think this brings happiness. Many of my finance peeps are loaded, but really l-o-a-d-e-d, yet still find joy and meaning in showing up at work every day. With the world around us changing so rapidly, and so many cool things are for grabs (before the robots get them!) that its criminal not to try to build a career.
Knowledge
What is it the Mr. or Mrs. Cool-You of the future knows that you currently don’t? Languages? Farming? Robotics?
Love/Sex
What should you do to improve your love life? Sex life?
Leisure
What are the activities you would like to pursue outside of obligations such as work, family and school? Please make these activities be meaningful and worthy of your time (hint: watching 4 hours a day of netflix doesn’t cut it). Every book on happiness I’ve read says that happiness is coming from caring about something greater than yourself and believing you are contributing to something meaningful.
Travel
This one is a separate category because it’s the easiest to plan.
Achieving immortality
This one really is the most important one. What will you be remembered for? Is it a beautiful art you’ll create? A company that changes people’s lives? Contribution to your community that will have a lasting impact beyond your time? Kids who would carry the memory of you into the future?
– Done! What’s next?
For each category, write down your vision of a meaningful and productive future, breaking it down to the time intervals:
- 1-year goals
- 5-year goals
- Lifetime goals **if “lifetime” freaks you out, substitute here to 10 years**
So enough theory, just go and put your thoughts on paper, on Google docs or whatever else you are using. I do suggest write it all up in one big blurb, almost like a stream of consciousness. I do find that im more honest with myself when I’m not thinking of every line too much. Once the food and fireworks are out of your system on January 3rd, you can come back to this, re-read it, and add/correct if you wish to.
Otherwise, live it be for a little, because soon enough you’ll need to start the Step 2 – developing a detailed, actionable plan to make your envisioned future a reality (more on it later).
P.S. For those of you overachievers, there is an “extra points” exercise – writing down “Life you don’t want to end up with”. Put it on paper – your worst fears, your pains – what would your life be like if you made all the wrong decisions? If you were lazy beyond reasonable? If you let yourself be angry and resentful? If you take too much drugs or alcohol? Its important to know how your enemy looks like, so you’ll recognize the first signs of him when they come.