Most new business owners think the first thing that they should do is start writing a business plan. While a business plan is imperative to the growth and success of your business, there is something even more important that you need to consider – creating a life plan.

As a business owner, many opportunities arise. Many of these opportunities will be incredible business opportunities to grow or increase income, however many of these opportunities will also move you away from your vision of your ideal life. A life plan is the foundation for not only your business plan, but also for the decisions that you will need to make in your business.
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Dream Your Life into Existence
As children, daydreaming was a daily activity. We imagined growing up to be doctors, firefighters, or famous rock stars. We dreamed of traveling the world, learning to surf, or meeting our heroes. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, society told us that it was time to stop dreaming.

Dreaming is a powerful tool. Take some time to dream about your ideal life. Imagine a day in your ideal life ten years from now. Describe it in vivid detail from the moment you wake up. Don’t censor yourself! Include details about:
• Who are you with?
• Where are you?
• What are you doing (for income/for fun/for health)?
• Why are you doing it?

If you have a significant other, include them in this process. Each person should create their own vision. Share your visions with each other. Are you on the same page? Can these visions happen together? With some creativity and comprise, you can create a vision for your relationship that allows both partners to live out a dream. The ability to dream and plan your life together is one of the secrets to happy and long marriages.

Focus on Values
Former Coca-Cola CEO Brian Dyson once said “Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them: work, family, health, friends, and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But, the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.”

Understanding your core values will help you to make better decisions to achieve your ideal life. For example, one of my core values is my marriage. My husband is my partner in life. I nurture that relationship and quickly back off of projects, situations, or business relationships that will prevent me from spending quality time with my husband.

When discovering your core values, here are some questions to consider:
• What’s really important to you?
• When you think about your life, what’s most valuable to you?
• What is the purpose of money in your life?
• Where do you want to spend your time?
• What do you want to contribute?
• What do you want to leave behind as your legacy?

Clearly write out your top five core values in a value circle. (If you have a partner, have them do the same.) Each decision you make should be helping you to live a life in balance with your core values. When you make decisions based on someone else’s needs or values, you will quickly find that life becomes more difficult, stressful, and unbalanced.

Set Goals!
Once a year, millions of people make a hoopla about setting a goal that will help them achieve (or get a step closer to) their ideal life. Lose weight! Save money! Spend time with my family! And two weeks later, these goals are long forgotten until the same resolutions are made next year.

People that achieve incredible things in their life are goal setters. They understand the importance of achieving small victories as you work towards the bigger vision. Goal setting is powerful. It is an inspiration to work towards your vision every day. A milestone in the creation of your ideal life. And most importantly – it is written down and reviewed regularly!

Start creating powerful goals! This technique will help you write clear goals that include the actions that you must take to achieve them. Consider each of the following when writing your goals for the next 1, 5, and 10 years.
• Specific – Describe in detail who, what, when and where.
• Present Tense – Write the goal as if you are achieving it today.
• Measurable – How will you know you have accomplished the goal?
• Time bound – Give yourself a specific deadline – down to the day!
• Challenge – If the goal is not challenging you, why aren’t you doing it already?
• Actions – Include what you are doing to achieve your goal!
• Affirmative – Write affirmative goals about want to want to happen – the law of attraction does not see the difference between what you do and don’t want. So leave out the don’t wants!

Here is a template for creating 1, 5, and 10 year goals for your personal life, health, and career.Download Goal Setting Worksheet

Now create your business plan!
Now that you have a clear picture of what you are trying to accomplish in your life, you can begin to manifest a career or business that will help you to achieve your ideal life!
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Learn the essentials of creating a functional business plan with The Yogipreneur Blog – Creating a Business Plan coming June 24th!