The benefits of having a personal plan

Do you know that being connected with a personal project helps you live life more fully? Why? Because it’s not the same to live life dodging what’s put in front of you day after day, as it is to draw your life aligned with what you’d like to be or do, connected with your values and dreams. Here, you might probably say: “Yes, great, but I don’t have time” or “What can I do?”. Today, I’m going to talk about why life is fuller when you have personal projects, no matter how small they are, and how to get started.

Imagine yourself ten or fifteen years from now: how do you see yourself? Where are you? Who are you with? You’re probably older, in the same place, and with the people you want around you. And if I ask you, what have you done in those years that makes you feel very proud of yourself, what would you say?

It’s always easier to live on autopilot: one day, another day, Easter break, another day, another day, summer vacation… A year, another… What are you doing or working on right now that could make you feel really proud of yourself in a few years?

A personal project is one that helps you achieve goals about something you like, are interested in, or care about; it helps give meaning to LIFE and enriches it by generating fullness and satisfaction. For example: Vega is a homemaker who feels like her life is Groundhog Day, she has two kids, a job she likes, and millions of things to do every day, but it’s always the same. Vega has always loved painting, ever since she was little she drew and painted very well, in her head the idea of picking it up again pops up now and then but: “How? When if I don’t have time?”. In one of our coaching sessions, I asked her: “How much would you like, from 1 to 10, to reconnect with drawing and painting?”. Vega’s eyes lit up, and she replied: “10, but I don’t have time, it’s impossible…” If you truly want it, you can truly do it. By the end of the session, Vega committed to getting a blank sheet of paper while her kids do their homework and start drawing for just half an hour. In our next session, Vega showed me a beautiful pencil portrait of her daughter doing her homework. She was proud of her drawing and was thinking about buying materials to make a painting.

Vega connects with drawing and painting, and it makes her happy; for example, I connect with writing, and I feel full, happy writing. I started writing on this blog because writing about coaching and personal growth makes me happy, it’s aligned with who I am, my values, and the pleasure and satisfaction it brings me in helping others.

Why is it beneficial to have a personal project?

• It helps you take care of your self-esteem and give yourself importance. This doesn’t mean forgetting about others; it means that taking care of oneself is just as important.

• It makes you feel happier, more content, and proud of yourself.

• It helps you to make an effort and be consistent, putting the “I can’t” aside.

• You set an example for the little ones who will surely love to share it with you.

• It keeps you motivated in your daily life.

  
  

How to connect with a personal project?

• Think about what you like, what makes you vibrate, feel good, and at peace. For example: cooking, being outdoors, sports, playing an instrument, etc.

• Within the area you like, what is the first step you can take to reconnect with that area? For example: if it’s cooking, do you have your best recipes written down? Do you feel like researching something new, etc.?

• Dedicate a minimal amount of time to that first step, for example, just fifteen minutes, but focus those fifteen minutes fully on something you enjoy, connect with it, and savor it.

• Once you’ve consciously connected with what you like, ideas about what’s next will start popping into your head. The key is in setting short-term goals, step by step.

• Routine doesn’t help personal satisfaction; we need small goals that help us grow, put effort into, and live a fuller life in which we enjoy a little more. As I always say… trying is free; I’m sure you can do it.

Image by Freepik

Melinda Sánchez Coach

www.melindasanchezcoach.com