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How To Craft A Vision Plan

“I love it when a plan comes together.”
Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, The A-Team

I was fortunate to receive an invite to Hilary Rushford’s LIVE “Planning Workshop” from her Elegant Excellence workshop series. A major player I admire greatly in the Instagram game as a teaching entrepreneur and coach, #LessHustleMoreGrace and #EncourageBeauty are two hashtags she uses that I adore.

Here are my personal takeaways from the class that I just had to share with you.

1. Release the Past

In the pre-work for the workshop, as I reflected and celebrated the ups and downs of the past, I was able to see the blessings in all the opportunities and challenges I faced and release anything that might keep me emotionally, spiritually, or fashionably (!) stuck.img_8866

Is anyone else out there
stuck in a certain time?
Or is it just me?
(See last
week’s post,
Lessons,
for the deets!)

HOW?:

  1. Look through your calendar and list the significant life events in the last twelve months.
  2. Use ONE WORD to describe each month.

Through this short exercise, I glimpsed snapshots of a whole year in pieces, saw patterns emerge, and gained perspective on my last twelve months. It was hugely rewarding to have gratitude about the trials my family faced and the lessons I learned to be able to release it all to God.

2. Acknowledge Highlights and Plan Intended Growth

Hilary teaches looking holistically at areas in life where you desire growth. This helps set action items.

I examined 12 Months of Highlights in twelve categories: Finances, Mental Health, Physical Wellness, Romantic Relationships, Friendships, Family, Teams/Colleagues, Spiritual, Travel, Play/Adventure, Hobbies/Personal Growth, and Daily Life. Then I made specific plans for intended growth over the next twelve months in each area.

This takes a little longer to complete, but the end result is so worth it. I came out with some measurable action items in each category.

3. Brainstorm Goals

Next, I brainstormed short term personal goals. Of the many things I listed, there are just three I’m prioritizing in these first six months.

  1. The Bible Literacy project I’m doing for my publisher is top priority. After a rough December being emotionally and physically stalled out, I want to kick this into full gear and finish. It has tremendous potential for big Kingdom-minded wins.
  2. At the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference, I’m so excited to be presenting a workshop on “Personal Branding” in April. (Click HERE if you’re a writer interested in attending this amazing conference!) While I have been gathering information and ideas for writers, I know that I need to begin organizing this and by the end of March, it needs to be tied up with a pretty bow on top!
  3. Like many Americans, I put on a few extra pounds last year. As I edge closer to fifty, those lil suckers are harder to take off! Momma needs to start exercising at least 30 minutes a day! (Anyone have a good app to recommend?)

 

“Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom…
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.”
(Moses in Psalm 90:12,17)

4. Road Map It Out

What gets your attention is what grows with intention. Ask yourself two questions.

  1. Where do I want to be in six months?
  • Finishing my project (with me happily anticipating its potential impact for Jesus and my boss beaming how great it is!),
  • Impacting other writers to best represent their ideas by branding a look and style that is uniquely theirs (maybe being asked back to speak again!), and
  • Getting back down to fighting weight with more stamina, flexibility, and muscles.

 

2. What are my weekly goals to get there? (note deadlines and metrics)

  • Write two-three chapters a week on Bible literacy.
  • Keep researching branding, gathering materials. The third week of March, make the initial outline. After that I have two weeks to spit-polish the rest.
  • Each day, find time to exercise. Whether it’s a formal class or doing planks as I microwave my coffee, that thirty minutes needs to happen at least five times a week. My Apple Watch keeps track of this.

I am posting these on my bathroom mirror and planning out my week on Sundays. I’m also letting you know my intentions for these next few months, so hold me accountable! Feel free to ask me about them via email or FB (The Church Girl Writes), IG (@thechurchgirlwrites), on Twitter (@leighmackenzie3), or comment below.

If you decide to move forward and craft your own Vision Plan using these steps, let me know. April Flavio from “The Spices of Life” and I did a little FB LIVE video (CLICK HERE!) where we talked about doing a vision board night. Comment or email me if this is something you’d like to do with us this month.

*****

Big thanks to Hilary Rushford and her team at Dean Street Society If you’re not following her on social media, you’ll dig her. Her printable packets are beautiful and she gives (sometimes free) classes on fashion, IG, and a course called “Elegant Excellence.” (Cuz, who doesn’t want a little more of that in life?)

 

 

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