Planning Sessions Aren't Just for Businesses

Posted on December 12, 2020 by Chrissy Mellinger, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

After talking with friends, I realized that most people do not incorporate planning sessions into their lives. These are typically thought to be only for big companies or small businesses. That could not be more wrong!

A personal planning session doesn’t have to be as formal or as detailed as a corporate session, but it should incorporate similar ideas.

First, you want to write down all the big events you know of already. Think of birthdays, weddings, trips, etc. I write these down in a family calendar.

Then, think of any big projects you want to accomplish. This should break down into house projects (do you need new windows or landscaping done?), work projects (if you’re a small business owner, I’d recommend breaking this out in your business planning session separately), family (are you looking to grow your family?), health (are you training for a marathon or looking to get fit?), and self (are you finally going to finish that self-help book you’ve been reading?). Depending on what your life looks like, you may not have all these categories or you could have even more.

Once you have the big projects listed out, you’ll want to prioritize them. Does anything need to happen before another project can? Do you want to move into a bigger house before growing your family? (We need a bigger house before we adopt another dog!) If so, you’ll want to write this out in timeline format and start to think about ideal timing.

(Remember as you go through this entire process, that man plans and God laughs. That doesn’t mean we don’t have influence over the timing of our own lives, but it does mean we need to leave space for the universe to support us and guide us. So don’t get too hung up on moving in a particular month. It makes planning difficult, I know!!, but it also serves as a constant reminder to work with the universe and not force anything. You may find your dream house much earlier than you had planned – and it might turn out to be even better timing!)

As you create a timeline of events, spend some time making sure you have space in your timeline. Are you trying to move and have a baby and start a business and travel to 15 different states next year? Best of luck to you my dear, but that might be a bit much to make happen in 12 months. You want to have fun next year, right?! So maybe ease up and re-think your hectic life. Busyness does NOT equal happiness and success. Busyness often equals burnout, frustration, and unhappiness.

Once you have an achievable timeline of events, spend a few days sitting with your plan. Does it still feel good three days later or do you want to change your priorities a bit? Are you and your family/significant other on the same page or do you need to have more discussions?

Then voila! You’re all finished and your plan can be framed and hung.

HAHAHAHAHAHA, sorry friend, I couldn’t resist. NO! Your plan is not a snapshot in time – you will keep tweaking this as life happens or your priorities shift or you come into your own and realize you would rather travel than have a big house on the lake.

You should keep your plan visible so it stays top of mind, but do not let it control your life. Remember, YOU ARE THE BOSS OF THE PLAN! It can change. There’s nothing that says just because you created this timeline that everything has to happen exactly the way you wrote it down. I can guarantee you sunshine, that will never happen. Life has other plans for us and we all roll with the punches.

The two most important things to remember about planning: leave space for the unexpected, for the divine interference, and always know you can change the plan. You are not tied to it. It’s a piece of paper or electronic file or whatever you used. You are not tied to that. You are tied to growing and expanding yourself and loving your life.

If you need help getting starting or even wrapping your mind around what a planning session would look like for you, I’m here! Planning sessions are my jam (I did spend an entire weekend doing it!) and I would love to work with you. Sign up below for a coaching session to get started!