We live in a complex world and are bombarded by information from all directions. Simplicity is the rule I choose to navigate life whenever possible. I know if something is easy to understand and can be applied in my routine, it will stick and I will follow through. Simplifying isn’t straightforward, but here’s a powerful tool I’ve used that brings clarity and perspective to what I want to achieve.
During my tenure at Salesforce, I learned about the Personal Plan which was created by my colleagues Daniel Pell and rolled out to the European region by Gill Payne. Personal Plan is a self-reflection and very practical tool that allows you to be intentional about what you want out of your life.
The recipe:
It is divided into 4 quadrants: Career, Wellness, Finance and Legacy. The rules are simple, you carve out 60 to 90 min to do the exercise. Divide the time allocated by 4 and reflect on what you want for each category. Go in order, start with Career, then move to Wellness, and so on. Don’t rush to the next quadrant, use all the minutes you have allocated to ponder about it. If it helps, the question that I ask myself when I was doing mine is what do I want to accomplish in that part of my life. Once you write it down (I use bullet points) leave it for a day. Let it settle. Go back on the next day and reread it just to check if something is missing or needs to be removed. And you are done. You will have in one page a map of the commitments and wishes you have made to yourself.
I have used and seen other people presenting their Personal Plan so many times. When you introduce yourself using this tool, your team will have the opportunity to see you as a whole person, not only your professional side. It is your choice to bring this out to the public, but its main purpose is to design the future you want. By revisiting it, you will be able to gauge where you are in your journey to fulfilment.
As you can appreciate, it is a letter to your future self. I know finding 90 min in your busy schedules can sound daunting, but I assure you will reap dividends from it. It is an exercise that invites you to slow down with intention and create insight. For me, it is also a way to hold myself accountable on how I want my life to be.
Personal Plan
