I am working on my life map today

A lot of people I meet seem dissatisfied. They have a general feeling that their life is not turning out the way they want it to, but, they have no way of putting their finger on the problem.

They don't even know what's missing

• If you set out on a roadtrip, you would take a map, or your GPS and program in your coordinates.
• If you went to get a business loan, the banker would ask to see your business plan before risking money on you.
• Before you build your dream home, or anything bigger than a garden shed, you'll sketch out a plan, or even have blueprints drawn up, right?

So, why in the name of all that is good in the world, would you tackle an entire life without a plan?

If you are trying to get the life you want, without even thinking about what that means, how do you know you aren't getting exactly the life you want?

Hint: you don't!

So, before you tell me how this doesn't work, let me share a little story.

About fifteen years ago, I was thirty years old. I was running a theater academy in a suburb of my city, and things were going well. We were moving up in the world, but I wanted more.

At the time I was teaching out of a tiny industrial building that housed my studio/workshop, about 2000 square feet and it was cramped. When it came time for productions, we would layout thousands in cash to rent a space for a week or two in a theater and produce our show. It was crazy.

I wanted a real business that could support my family and grow. We needed our own space.

So, I set down and wrote a business plan, with the thought of attracting investors, who, I thought, could expect to get a return if I did this right. So, I wrote down everything I needed in a facility and my plan to increase my students and ticket sales to pay the investors back and give myself a raise.

Fast forward two years. My company hit major new competition and my students left, but, in the gap an opportunity appeared. I had long forgotten about my map for the space I wanted. But, the universe remembered.

Some family members became our investors and three months after I thought I was done with theater, we had our space, complete with rehearsal spaces, a stage, a costume shop and a scene shop! Then I found it.

Tucked away in a desk drawer that got shoved in a corner during the move, was a printed copy of the business plan I had deleted after it failed and guess what? The square footage was as I had predicted, the features of the building were as I had predicted, it was on a high traffic street. My plan had come into being, without me even remembering it existed.

So, what happened?

Something unlocked inside my subconscious and, while I was not aware I was doing it, I was working to achieve the very thing I said I wanted, and the universe around me, brought people who didn't even know about my plan to help!

I got another seven years and they were the best. We survived as a for profit company for seven years until I was worn out and ready to do something else.

So, it's time for a new map!

Today, I'm working on a new design. It includes you beautiful people here on steemit, my books, and a bit of carpentry, to keep me from getting bored behind a desk.

So, how do you get started on a plan that will work itself?

It's easy. You open up your laptop, or a notebook, then you pull the visions of your life that you shoved into the back corners of your mind when you got a "real job", and you let them spill out on the page.

I work in categories. I figure out what I want to see in my life in every area.

• Spiritually, where do I want to be, how do I want to feel?
• Relationally, what would I like to see happen in my marriage, in my friendships, with my kids?
• Health, do I need to lose, or gain weight? Would I like to have dental work, or other procedures? What about exercise, diet, etc?
• Environment, what needs to change in how and where I live? Do I need a different house to live my ideal life? A new location?
• Finances, what do I want to achieve? Don't worry about being "realistic" or mapping out the steps to get there, that't not what this is.
• Work, what kind of work, how much of it, when, where, and what do I want to get in exchange? (not just money, but recognition, etc)
• Leisure, are there things I'd like to spend my time doing that I'm not now? Do I want to continue as I am?
• Travel, where do I want to go, with whom, for how long? What do I want to see and do while I'm there?

*I add other categories as I go and try to make sure I include as much detail as possible when it's important to me. *

• This is a dream catalog, make it as big as you want it to be! If you really want a simple life, then describe that. Be honest!
• Don't edit yourself based on what you think you can achieve. That is not the goal here. We are not listing things that might actually happen if we just keep living, we're listing what we really want our life to be!
• List as many things in each category as occur to you. Digital may be best, so you can add and edit easily as you think of new details and ideas.
• Again, don't hold back. When I wrote my business plan for the theater, I was thinking really outside the box and dreaming big, and I got it, all of it!

Too many people fail to even try this. They don't dream about the possibilities of life as they want it. They let environment, education, physical conditions, and finances all limit them. They accept life as it could easily be with very little change, instead of dreaming bigger.

Why not shoot for the moon?

When we dream, we do ourselves a serious disservice if we don't go a little out of our current comfort zone. Think of it this way, if you listed everything you've ever wanted, then achieved just half of it, what would your life be like? Amazing, right?

So, what's the best that could happen? (you've seen the sign over my desk, if you follow #dolphinschool) You could achieve everything on this map in a year, and need a new one! Right? You'll never know until you try.