Can you create a life plan even if you're not a planner?

On a daily basis, there can be so much going on in your life. Demands, deadlines, distractions, and never-ending To Do lists all grab for your attention. And life can feel more chaotic than calm, as you constantly react to whatever shows up. Argh!

While that’s exactly how many people will live their life, it sure doesn’t feel good, does it?! The pressure, exhaustion, and stress all take a toll. And you never really get to focus on living your real life well. Cue disappointment and regret 😟

With all this talk of “creating your best year yet” and “living your best life”, you might be wondering how you can go from where you are to feeling more in control. Well, the good news is there is something you can do but it’s often something a lot of people think they can’t do! (does that sound cryptic? read on…)

Create a plan for your life

Now when I say “create a plan for your life”, I’m not suggesting you create a plan from birth to death. It’s about identifying what’s important to you and how you want to live.

Through the planning process, you reconnect with who you really are and how you really want to be living. It’s about your dreams, goals and priorities, and it acts like a North Star that you can orient yourself to as you go about your daily life.

But (sadly) despite a plan being super useful, a lot of people will shy away from creating one because …

“I can’t plan”

“I’m not a planner”

“I don’t think that way”

“I’m not wired for it”

“I … [insert your reason here]”

And that’s exactly what we’re going to address in this article!

Over the (nearly) 30 years I've been helping people plan, I've heard ALL the reasons why it’s not possible for them. And spoiler alert, that’s simply NOT true!

Everyone can plan. I haven't met a person yet who can't.

BUT that doesn’t mean planning will just happen.

Like a lot of things in life, planning is a skill that needs to be learnt and practiced. Life coach - Tracey Hancock

So if you’ve been saying you can’t plan and you know it’s holding you back from creating a life that feels good to you, here are 3 things to consider:

1. Have you ever been taught how to create a life plan?

Yes or No?

Generally speaking, we're not taught how to create a plan for our life. There's no class in school for that (or at least there wasn’t when I was there!). So, is it possible that you can plan - you just don’t (YET) know how to?

Yes or Yes?

If you chose YES, that’s a great choice because it’s going to open you up to the possibility that you can learn how to plan and to actually do it!

As an aside, it might surprise you to know you've already learnt something about planning and even though it was directly about planning for your life, it’s still going to be useful.

Seriously, you’ve probably prepared a meal, if you’re a parent, you’ve got your children ready for school and out the door (what a mission!), you might have managed a project, planned a party or holiday, and so on. What do all of those things have in common? They all required some sort of planning!

2. Is how you've been taught to plan right for you?

Okay, on the off-chance you have learnt something about planning in general and specifically life planning, it might not have been the right (or best) way for you.

You see, there are many different ways to plan and some will suit you better than others. Why? Because we're all different.

You might be left or right-brained, a big-picture thinker or really detailed, like pictures or words or whatever ...that's why some approaches will feel harder or easier than others.

Now when I'm working with people in personal coaching sessions or in the Life by Design program, I get to know them really well so I can provide specific feedback on the best way for them to plan. But I don’t want to leave you hanging without a suggestion, so I'm going to share my top tip with you.

💡Think about when you've planned something and it felt easy or you enjoyed it - what do you notice about HOW you planned in that situation? (write that down, it’s useful!)

3. Have you tried to plan more than once and asked for help if you felt stuck?

Be honest - did you give planning a quick try and decide it wasn't for you? The truth is, the first time we do anything it often feels hard so the key to success is to… keep trying. And if you still feel stuck, ask for help but don't give up!

Know that you want to make changes to how you live your life in 2023 so you can avoid disappointment and regret, and to finally ditch the constant stress? 🙋‍♀️

O-M-G imagine that?!

Because if those things are gone, then that’s made way for you to live your real life and to live it well!

Okay, if you've got the 2023 Live Well Life Planner, work through the pages and prompts.

Not got the Planner yet? The printed copies have sold out but you can still buy a digital version to download, print and bind however you like. You can do that here.

And if you want help with this all-important work, we can work together through the Life by Design program or personal coaching sessions.

Remember, anyone and everyone can plan, including YOU! But like any other skill, learning how and practicing is key to your success.