Section 8: Planning Your Future
Your vision is what you want your life to look like 3-5 years from now.
Now that you have clarity around your current situation, it’s time to define your future vision for each life area. The following exercise will guide you through the steps to create that vision.
Exercise #1: Your Big Picture Vision
In this exercise you will revisit the areas of life covered in a previous section (where you rated each on a 1-10 scale). As you work through each portion, it can be helpful to think back to your past.
What interested you as a child?
What did you spend your free time doing?
What parts of the military did you enjoy?
These questions can provide hints about what is most energizing and meaningful in your life.
You can also download a printer-friendly version of this exercise.
Identity
The thoughts, feelings, and image I have of myself.
Five words or phrases I would describe my future identity as:
Examples: Creative, learner, loyal, husband, hard-working
Location
Where I plan to live and my living situation.
City / State where I’ll live:
My future living situation:
Examples: Apartment, house, living alone, with spouse, roommates, etc.
Career
What I’ll do for a living.
My future employer:
My future job title:
Top 3 skills I’ll use on a daily basis:
Finances
My salary, debt, and overall financial situation.
Future Annual Salary:
Checking / Savings / 401k / TSP / Investment amounts:
Unpaid debt (Car loan, credit cards, mortgage):
I maintain a weekly / monthly budget:
Yes / No
I have an emergency fund (3+ months of living expenses):
Yes / No
Health
My physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
I’ll maintain a regular fitness routine:
Yes / No
I’m able to handle the stress of everyday life:
Yes / No
I’ll prioritize time for my well-being:
Yes / No
I’ll have a support network that can keep me accountable:
Yes / No
Relationships
How I connect with the people around me.
The person I’ll spend the most time with is:
I feel comfortable being myself around this person:
Yes / No
I have a network of close friends I can confide in:
Yes / No
I enjoy meeting new people:
Yes / No
The most important things in my relationships will be (choose 3):
Respect, Communication, Trust, Honesty, Support, Safety, Fun, Independence, Shared values
Ambitions, Passions, & Free Time
My motivation for meaningful things.
I’ll continually focus on my goals:
Yes / No
The 3 things (personal or professional) I’m most passionate about are:
My time outside of work is spent:
Examples: Watching TV, running, restoring cars, fishing
Exercise #2: Clarifying Your Future
Using your answers from the above questions, the next step is to combine everything into a single document.
Part journaling, part creative writing, and part brainstorming, write down in detail what your future life looks like, as if you already achieved your goals.
It can be helpful to pick a future date and describe what that day looks like. If you pick December 31st, 2029, describe what you’re doing on that day and everything you’ve accomplished up to that point.
Be as descriptive as possible with your writing. Think of it like a 4k glimpse into your future.
What do you see, hear, and feel?
What does your home and work life look like?
What are you wearing?
What emotions and feelings are you experiencing?
You can complete this exercise on a piece of paper or word document on your computer. Whichever you choose, store it somewhere you’ll regularly see it. Make it a constant reminder of the life you're working to create.
Reread the document every few months. Besides being a reminder that you’re on the right path, it provides an opportunity to update and refine your vision. It's a living document that evolves as you do.
Once you complete this exercise, the next step is to break it into smaller milestones. These milestones guide the actions you’ll take in the coming weeks and months. That’s up next!