(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)

 

I am always helping my clients design a better life, and sometimes that includes making a life plan. Life designing focuses primarily on the present to make the highest quality of life possible. In life designing, the client pulls the relationships, the personal goals, career goals, communication skills, professional skills, relationship with themself, and personal foundation into the life designing process. These items are called design elements of life.

A life plan, on the other hand, is a collection of goals, meaningful to the client, that are organized in a linear fashion to be accomplished over the next X-number of years.

Both are useful, but generally a person’s quality of life is richer when the life design process is used versus the life planning process. However, it is frequently a good idea to have the goal setting-and-achieving skills developed first and then grow into the life design process.

 

Copyright 1996 Steve Straus. All rights reserved.