Since 2004 I have actually had a life plan that I re-write almost entirely each year after a review about the good, the bad and the unachieved but  to see those that are still on the list. I sometimes completely remove a goal from my plan as I, as we all are, am allowed to change my mind.

This happens very rarely though. I do believe, (like parking spaces) I can vision good outcomes and make better progress when I have a plan. 

I continue to try and fit too much into life, I am constantly frustrated by my lack of achievement and yet others might believe that I am living my best life. I think if there is anything anyone can learn about achieving their best life outcomes it is a process of steps and stages, perhaps different scales of goals and breaking down big ambitions into smaller chunks, always accepting failure for want of a better word...perhaps delay or a tweak in direction? Nothing and nobody is perfect so the pursuit of that if it is slowing you down and making you unhappy is simply a change of mindset.

In both personal and professional development I divide my life into a pie chart of areas of interest and I apply time to the pie chart for the size of each piece of the pie adding to 100% of uneven cuts which symbolise the time in the 100% of the day, week, month and year in which overall I want to spend time doing something. 

I am lucky today I have the total freedom, following a successful exit years ago and not losing it all since, to choose to work. Work which I see as a project to achieve a much greater ambition and purpose so I can lead an exceptional life and give back to a society where I feel we all should put in like volunteers so that everyone also gains and get’s back. We should teach this basis as my teacher Mrs. Robinson taught me in early years. She only ever asked two things. Do your best and have a go knowing the more you put into life the more you get out.  I’d say this is the Lara Morgan approach to setting and achieving goals, you have to give to get. 

I know what goes around comes around and from that I feel good about helping others, I believe a touch of kindness from a bit of balmy brilliant Scentered may, bigger, big high picture improve the world of outlook in others that we can influence by spreading positivity. I see no other way to live than to live positively. I have recently worked to double down on those that dare be negative around me, and for those that continue being negative in my world, I simply move on.

You may ask, is it possible to build a roadmap to success? I know it is. I started doing so after a training course in 2004. There I learnt the power of the word choice which remains my mantra and one I remind my children of whenever I can. So many people do not define a life plan, most therefore, cannot know its importance and value. 

It’s ok to be lost and a lonely perhaps for a time but we have to teach resilience skills and have the ability to recognise moments when we need to make good change decisions. This also is empowerment, the most valuable kind is the talking to myself kind?  

The role of life planning in achieving long-term success is a never ending road, or that’s my plan. What I know already is I am intentionally packing things in and those that I enjoy spending time with are those that have big ambitions and also put health and wellness at the heart of what they do, whilst always having fun.

Be kind to yourself when things don’t go to plan. Sometimes we have to learn to suck up the negative and look forwards once more having dusted ourselves down. Nothing wrong with that experience. Sometimes we have to double down to cram more into the day. From the simply mundane necessities we still have to make time for ourselves. I ran early in the mud this morning with my dog Tonga, after stretching, which I find boring, but that allowed me to get all I could do done, knowing I wanted to get my hair done and not ruin it later in the day. Small triumphs matter, everything went smoothly. Set me up for a terrific day. I nearly ran under a bridge when a train went over which is super lucky. I choose to smile when I just missed it, positive I am going to have a cracking day. Small good choices and a plan always leads to better stuff ahead.

So to ensure a positive take away from my piece, what might be my tips and advice on navigating obstacles and staying focused. Umm, that takes a deep intake of breath as I have by no means been perfect in this regard for a lengthy period of time. I always think when we want to change anything writing it down is critical. That’s a commitment to self. Hang a list of change in your shower if need be, (yes I have done this to really bake ins some changes) but always refer back to the master pie. I would suggest anyone to really think far ahead and work back from that end goal. In my case I was lucky, my first enterprise outing was a remarkable triumph mainly because of the brilliant people I gathered around me. So surround yourself with great people and walk away from the naysayers. 

By encouraging the importance of forward-thinking with numbers and working back you have a clear path. It may seem like a huge mountain of phases so then just start chunking parts of progress and working out the rewards you might gain along the way. Rewards matter as I have said before.

Practical other tips for motivating and guiding others – get a great night sleep every night, but start the day early and always look after your fitness. Have a look forward not back future-focused mindset. 

A life plan is not a career plan, it is much more than that and along the way you must build in time to smell the roses. I hope this piece helps make a lasting impact on your journey towards personal and collective success, may I remind you, the more interests we have, the more learning we do, the more opportunities we unfold and the more laughter we have along the way. Enjoy the journey.