Future Life Planning Chart

Here is a simple tool which I have used for several years:

• With high-schoolers who are considering their future:
• With adults in their profession or small business:
• With corporate executives and teams.

It is a very simple way to get the mind to focus on some future time.

Take one sheet of paper, turned sideways (landscape view). You are going to tabulate your future. So make 6 columns. Enter the following as the headings of the 6 columns:

Aspect / Today / +5 Yrs / +10 Yrs / +15 Yrs / To Do

The first entry in the "Aspect" column is "Age".
Enter your current age in the "Today" column.
Do simply math to fill out the "Years" columns.

(Since this is 2008, you might want to change the column headers to actual years, i.e., 2013, 2018, 2023)

That's the easy part. But you can already see, or start to imagine, what your life might be like in 2023. Don't let that scare you, lol.


Now we need to add some more Aspects or characteristics down the left-hand column. Put items like these:

- Marital Status
- Partner's Age
- # of Kids
- Age of Kids
- # of Kids at Home
- Ages of My Parents
- Ages of Partner's Parents
- Where Parents Reside
- My Education Level
- My Employment
- Where Residing
- Type of Residence

(keep adding items that suit your situation)


Now start to think about and fill out the table, across the columns. Take your time; think about it, come back later to fill in blanks. Review it and brainstorm it. Put it aside for a day.


Based on what you think (with reasonable probability), your life will be like in 2023, start to consider what you might wish to change, or which does need changing. Enter some keywords in the "To Do" column.


Then start to develop a plan of action that will increase the odds of you achieving your desired future life.

This is a simple exercise that almost anyone can do.

Plus, it is fun!

Cheers!

Frank Feather, Futurist

("Dr. Future")