Part 1: Big Picture Planning.
We have the power to change our lives.
Traditionally, January is the month we think about the status of our lives and how we want to make big changes. We create huge and often meaningless goals and come February, we’re knee-deep in disappointment, frustration, or sheer annoyance at ourselves for not being this magical dedicated fairy who hit all the markers and habit-tracking boxes we set up for ourselves.
I’ve totally been guilty of this.
A few years ago though, I went against tradition and evaluated my life a little differently.
I wanted to analyze my life regularly: long-term, short-term, daily, and whenever I felt my soul aching for a shift. But one thing I would not be doing would be creating unrealistic goals for myself in January, even if the 1st of the year started on a Monday (IYKYK!). I wasn’t going to do it. Nah-ah.
I addressed what life was all about in the first place, approaching it with reverence.
I asked myself one important question (well, technically, two) changing the entire way I think about goal setting:
What kind of life am I creating and why?
I now call this version of goal-setting: Big Picture Planning.
It’s the art of envisioning and mapping out the life you want to lead, rather than creating a life based on what someone, somewhere else (probably on TikTok) is telling you to do because it’s trending.
It’s a life on your own terms.
You see, much like a painter standing before a blank canvas, we have the power to create any masterpiece we want, whenever creativity hits.
So as you stand at the crossroads of today and tomorrow, consider the brushstrokes (your life choices) that will define your canvas when you look back in years to come.
OK, so how do I do this Big Picture Planning? Let me hit you with the 3 steps, followed by a little freebie, and then grab yourself a coffee, a few hours of free time, and get yourself to dreaming!
1. Create a Vision
It all starts with a vision – a vivid, detailed image of the life you aspire to lead. It's about imagining not just the tangible achievements, but also the emotions, relationships, and personal growth that will color your canvas. Think about your career, relationships, health, and personal development.
What do you see when you close your eyes and dream of your ideal life?
I brain dump it all in a journal and map out what I hope to have done with my life when I’m old and grey and the stories I want to tell my grandkids.
I then take these ideas and make them visual on Pinterest. I have a board called “My One Beautiful Life” and I edit it now and then, but print it out yearly (usually in February when I start to settle in). It acts as my anchor and my guide for everything else moving forward.
2. Set Meaningful Goals
Goals are the milestones that bring your vision to life. The One Beautiful Life Pinterest board I have? Well, I ask myself:
How am I going to get there?
How am I going to create that life for myself?
Goals act as the guiding stars. They provide direction, purpose, and a sense of accomplishment. I consider professional aspirations, personal relationships, health and wellness, and even contributions to the community. I don’t put a timeline on anything (that’s for another day), I simply begin with understanding what needs to happen for those images on Pinterest to become a reality. I write them down in a journal and I let them linger for a moment.
3. Theme the Vision
I love a word of the year, but sometimes one word feels too restrictive. I like to have a theme for the vision and often, break it into 3, simply because life is complex and beautiful, and one word isn’t enough.
I let these words be flexible throughout the year, changing when needed, but I try to come up for one for my internal life, one for my external life, and one professionally.
This year, in this moment, I’ve chosen:
Internal (how I want to feel things): SAVOR
External (how I want to experience things): DELIGHT
Professional (how I want to approach my career): CONFIDENT
I print my Pinterest board and my words of the season and frame them on my desk. I also place a copy in my journal. They remind me of how I want to live my one beautiful life.
Once I've completed the 3 steps, I take a breather. No overwhelm here, ok?!
Part 2, I'll be sharing next week, breaks those life goals down to 20, 10 , 5 and 1 year action plans, resulting in a system set up for an easy 90 days of action steps!
When I'm old and grey, I want to say I lived a life worthy of a legacy. To create that legacy, begins one day at a time.
Want a FREE Canva template created for the One Beautiful Life vision board?
Looking to dive deeper? As a certified coach, I offer a tailored, focused, and results-driven approach designed to guide you away from overwhelm and into working from a place of inspiration and rest. Schedule a coaching discovery call and take the first step towards a more joyful you.
Chloe believes designing a beautiful life begins with heartfelt intention. Encouraging those around her to enjoy life like a fine art gallery, slowly, with emotion and purpose. Guiding away from overwhelm and into living and working from a place of rest.
Having spent the majority of her career as a bespoke wedding stationer, in a high-end and fast-paced industry, burnout struck in 2018 and almost led her to quit. Instead, she rested and did the deep work of understanding why women and creatives are more susceptible to the continual destruction of overwhelm.
Her mission is to eliminate the shame around creative suffering and bring joy back to our days. Offering 1:1 coaching sessions, tailored Clear Mind coaching programs, VIP days, and speaking engagement content, learn more about Chloe here.
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