LIFE Plan Document

In my last post, I gave you a detailed description and break-down of my main LIFE Plan document. I described my Roles, Focus Areas, and Goals. I gave you a couple of samples from these areas. I also gave you access to download my [Title Page Summary] and [Godly Father Role].

As you can probably guess, combining all of these pieces into a complete document makes for a long document. The length of the document made it difficult to quickly review it on a regular basis. While I considered cutting it down, I just could not figure out which parts to eliminate.

Dashboard as Summary

So, as a result, I decided I needed a “dashboard” of sorts. With a one-page summary, I felt I could use this document in a weekly review process. I used a compilation of several resources I had found (and created a spreadsheet that would represent the month to month living out of my LIFE Plan. This Dashboard is made up of many sections, or “Gauges”, that help me keep my overall LIFE plan at the forefront of my mind.

Roles, Focuses, and Goals Gauges

For the first section, I started with the eight roles and laid out the sheet in a way that would allow me to see all eight Roles and the corresponding Focus Areas. Then, I left three blanks under each Role for monthly Goals. Each month, I update my monthly Goals, leaving the Roles and Focus Areas the same throughout the year.

Take a look at the picture below to get an idea of what I mean. (Note the Roles and Focus Areas have changed…this is part of my dashboard from December 2010)

Remaining Sections

As I have said several times, this whole process has evolved over time for me. You may want to stop right there and let your dashboard include only your Roles, Focuses, and Goals Guages. I started here, but have since added to mine. I will share the rest of my Dashboard with you and let you decide if any of it is interesting to you.

Strengths Gauges

In his book Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham describes how working on your strengths is the best strategy. At the end of the book, you take a test and are told your top strengths. I really found the material to be enlightening and began determining how I could apply it to my life.

In a sequel to Buckingham’s book, StrengthsFinder 2.0, author Tom Rath details out a list of 10 strategies for developing each strength described. I picked the top two or three of those actions for each of my top four strengths and put them on my dashboard.

Take a look at this picture to see how this looks.

Final Gauges

Across the bottom of the LIFE plan Dashboard, I added four more sections based on what I felt was most important to review regularly. You may substitute your own categories here, but I included the following:

1. Prayer Focus – a listing of various ongoing areas in which I focused my prayer
2. Reading/Listening Plan – a list of the books and audio for that month
3. 360 Assessment – my top ten concern areas from a 360 degree assessment of me
4. Scripture – a list of references to the 15-20 verses I am trying to memorize

Here is a visual of these gauges.

Closing Quote

To close out the bottom of my LIFE Plan Dashboard, I wanted something to keep me focused on the big picture. I learned in my C12 group that I should always be ready with a conversation-starting response to the question, “What do you do for a living?” I used this answer to close out my dashboard.

I work for an unusual company. It is an car dealership group that is a Christian company. We are trying to learn, and to show, how Jesus would run a company if He were the boss.

That’s It!

So, there it is! That is my LIFE Plan Dashboard, in all its glory! If you want to see the entire document together, just [Click Here].

Some of you are thinking I am crazy and others are thinking I am weak. That is fine! I can handle it!

Regardless of what you are thinking, I encourage you to do something similar. I will go into more detail about how I use this Dashboard in my final post in this series, but for now, I urge you to think about what you could create that would be easy to review on a weekly basis. Keeping your life plan in front of you in some shape or form will keep you closer to the path God has revealed to you.

What is your reaction to this dashboard?

Do you see how you could benefit from a weekly review of your life plan?

What do you see to be your next step in the life planning process?

Originally posted 1/26/12

The Quote

I was listening to Jim Collins speak at the Catalyst conference in Atlanta. He was talking about an interview he had with Peter Drucker. Towards the end of the interview, Peter asked Jim for permission to offer him some advice. Jim, of course, was quick to agree! Who would refuse to take advice from Peter Drucker?!?

Drucker went on to say something to this effect (imagine his Austrian accent here)…

“Jim, you keep talking and thinking about survival…(pause)…You will probably survive. You also keep dwelling on success…(pause)…you will probably be successful. (longer pause)…Why don’t you go make yourself useful?“

Collins said he had no response. He said that quote has stuck with him since then.

My Response

Well, I just have to tell you that it has stuck with me as well. As I continue to hear it rattle around in my head, I wonder if I am truly being “useful.” Then I start to question what “useful” really means, in light of my faith, my (stewardship of His) business and an eternal perspective.

So I did what anyone would do this day and age…I googled it! Here is the Dictionary.com definition of useful:

Looking at the first definition, I keyed in on the words serving some purpose. Am I serving some purpose? What purpose should I be serving?

Serving Some Purpose

It is clear to me that Jesus has already told us what our purpose should be. When asked about the greatest commandment, He answered with two…”Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength” and “love your neighbor as yourself.” His final instructions to us before He ascended was to “go and make disciples of all nations….” Now it is simply up to us to determine how He has gifted each of us to carry out, to serve, this purpose.

Of Practical Use

As for the second definition listed above, “of practical use,” it is similar, but I also see a little different perspective. I see myself as the tool in God’s hands – carrying out whatever practical work or task He has in mind for me. This requires my vision to be submitted to His. It requires me to be flexible, ready to change direction according to His will. In this definition, I see fewer grandiose projects and more washing of feet. I see God getting glory from the most menial of my tasks.

Useful?

So, once I break it down…what is my answer? Am I making myself useful?

For me, I believe God has placed me in a position at the head of a family business for the purpose of loving and serving Him and others. I am to do this as a business leader, but I am also to serve this purpose as a godly husband, father, church member, neighbor and friend. Each of these roles requires a different approach and I may need to employ various methods or skills, depending on the role. Regardless, each of these roles should fulfill the core purpose Jesus laid out for me.

So, for now I will say I am definitely a work in process. I am learning and growing. I am striving to be and do those things that will result in hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I am certainly not there yet. I don’t suppose I will ever actually be there. At the same time, that is what the “making” is all about!

What about you? Are you too concerned with survival or success?

Are you making yourself useful?

What do you need to change to improve?

Originally posted 11/7/11