Creating a life plan isn’t just about setting goals or ticking boxes on a list.
It’s a practice of self-discovery and transformation, a quiet yet powerful commitment to living with intention and clarity.
When we decide to create a life plan, we aren’t simply writing down things we want to accomplish — we are choosing to live by design, not by default.
A life plan offers more than a roadmap; it offers freedom from the cycle of doing things just to keep up, allowing you instead to ground yourself in what is authentically yours.
The following steps will help you craft a vision of the life you want to live and empower you to show up every day for it.
Ready to create your 10-year life plan?
Here’s how you can do it today!
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How to Create Your 10-Year Life Plan
1. Do a Life Audit
Before you start setting life goals, you need to understand where you stand right now.
And the easiest way to do so is by doing a life audit with the Wheel of Life.
To do so, consider the 8 following dimensions and grade them from 0 (not satisfied at all) to 10 (very satisfied):
- Finances
- Personal growth
- Health
- Family/Friends
- Career
- Environment
- Social life
- Physical appearance
Notice where you feel scarcity, discomfort, or resistance. These ratings are not judgments; they are signposts.
They show you where you need to direct your energy, where you are yearning for something different, and where your spirit is calling for change.
Related read: How to Do a Life Audit with The Wheel of Life
2. Identify Your Core Values
To live with clarity and create your life plan, you must first understand the values that are non-negotiable to you.
What do you believe in, at your core? Kindness, courage, freedom, authenticity?
Write down the words that resonate and feel like truth to you. These are the bedrock of your being.
These values will keep you grounded as you make decisions and face challenges. Because a life aligned with your values is one where you never lose sight of yourself.
3. Describe Your Ideal Life
Imagine your life as it would be if you lived in alignment with your most authentic self.
- How would you spend your days?
- What work would you do?
- Who would you spend your time with?
Be as specific as possible. The more vividly you can envision this ideal life, the more you’ll know what direction to move in, and the more you’ll feel it guiding you.
This is not a “dream life”; this is a clear, authentic vision of what’s possible for you and what you’ll strive to achieve in the decade to come.
4. Describe an Ideal Day in Your Life
Based on your vision of the ideal life, how does an ideal day look?
Your days make your life.
So, envision a single day that you would consider ideal — the kind of day that would leave you feeling fulfilled, peaceful, and content.
Plan it from the moment you wake up until the second you go to sleep. Write it down as a sacred ritual, a manifestation of what you most want, and strive to recreate that day as often as possible.
5. Write Your 10-Year Life Roadmap
It’s time to look 10 years into the future.
Imagine the milestones you want to reach — in your career, relationships, personal growth, finances.
What do you want to accomplish? How do you want your life to feel?
Don’t let fear hold you back. Map out the big picture and then detail it as much as possible.
This roadmap isn’t a rigid plan; it’s a promise you make to yourself about the kind of life you will build, step by step.
6. Create a Vision Board
Collect images, quotes, and symbols that capture your goals, desires, and 10-year vision for your life.
Create a visual representation of the life you want to build, and place it somewhere you’ll see every day—or even better, set it as your phone or desktop wallpaper.
Let it become a reminder of what you’re working toward because each time you look at it, you’ll feel yourself stepping closer to your purpose, grounding yourself in the journey of becoming who you are meant to be.
Related read: Create a Vision Board that Manifests
7. Set SMART Goals to Achieve Your Vision
It’s now time to break down your long-term vision into SMART— specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals.
Each goal you set will become a stepping stone on your journey, something that brings you closer to the life you’ve envisioned.
Remember, 10-year goals aren’t about ticking boxes on a to-do list; they’re about transforming your life.
So each one should bring you closer to becoming your truest self.
8. Validate Your Goals
When you set a goal, pause and ask yourself:
- What will this goal help you achieve?
- Why do you want to achieve this?
- How does achieving this make you feel?
- Why does it make you feel this way?
- So why is this goal important to you?
This step is about validating your life goals, letting go of everything that will not bring you closer to your ideal life, and claiming the life you truly aspire to.
9. Write Your 5-Year Life Plan
Break your vision down further and write a 5-year plan that reflects what you want to achieve in the upcoming 5 years to get closer to your 10 year vision.
These are the milestones that will ground your bigger dreams, making them accessible and achievable.
Focus on what you can realistically accomplish in this time frame, knowing that every step, no matter how small, is bringing you closer to the life you were meant to live.
10. Write Your 3-Year Life Plan
Now, consider what you can accomplish in three years.
Three years is both short enough to feel immediate and long enough to create significant change.
In this plan, focus on the foundational aspects of your goals, the actions that will help you achieve your 5-year goals.
The goal here is to break down your 5-year goals and create a 3-year plan to support them.
In other terms, what can you achieve in the next 3 years to get you closer to your 5-year vision?
11. Write Your 1-Year Life Plan
It’s now time to break your 3-year life plan into manageable, actionable steps.
Think of your annual plan as the bridge between your 3-year vision and your daily life.
What can you accomplish over the next 12 months to move closer to your ideal life and 3-year goals?
Write your 1-year goals as precisely as possible — these will form the foundation of your action plan.
12. Write a 1-Year Action Plan
Take each goal in your 1-year plan and break it down even further.
Consider what you can do each month, week, and day to bring these goals to life.
Your action plan is a commitment to hold yourself accountable, to show up each day with the intention to accomplish your short-term goals.
And it’s the most tangible piece of your 10-year roadmap — as it outlines the steps you can take right now to achieve your 1-year goals and move closer to your ideal life.
So for each goal, list the daily habits that will support your progress and decide whether they should be part of your morning or night routine.
13. Create a Morning Routine to Support Your Growth
Your morning routine is how you show up for yourself each day.
Create a routine that supports your goals, whether through movement, stillness, journaling, or reflection.
Your morning is your time to prepare for what you are becoming, to start each day from a place of alignment.
So take the habits you have previously identified and stack them into a productive morning routine to ensure you work on your life goals before anything else.
14. Create a Night Routine to Unwind
An intentional night routine helps you close each day with peace and gratitude.
Use this time to reflect on what went well, let go of what didn’t, and rest so that you can begin a new tomorrow.
A calm night leads to a purposeful morning, grounding you in a cycle of productivity and growth.
15. Reflect on Each Day
Daily reflection keeps you aware of your progress and what still needs improvement.
At the end of every day, ask yourself what went well, what could have gone better, and how you felt throughout the day.
This daily practice brings clarity, helping you reconnect with your journey and see how each day is contributing to a life of alignment.
Related read: 13 Daily Habits to Express Gratitude
16. Track Your Habits
Habits are the small, steady actions that quietly transform your ideal life into your new reality.
By tracking your habits, you’re able to stay aligned with your goals, no matter how busy life gets.
Plus, seeing your progress, day by day builds momentum, and maintaining a streak can be incredibly motivating, especially when starting new habits.
Tracking isn’t just about measurement; it’s a commitment to yourself, a promise to show up and stay on course.
17. Track Your Progress
Another essential part of your 10-year life plan is tracking your progress.
Doing so is important when working toward life goals because it keeps you connected to your journey and aware of how far you’ve come.
Regularly monitoring your achievements helps you recognize upcoming deadlines, spot potential risks of falling behind, and take timely action to stay on course.
18. Reassess and Realign
Progress tracking isn’t just about recording successes; it also highlights areas where you may need to reassess or adjust your plans to stay aligned with your vision.
Because life is unpredictable, and plans often need adjusting. Especially when talking about 10-year plans.
Reassessing and realigning isn’t failure; it’s wisdom. Staying flexible is what allows you to grow and evolve as you discover more of who you truly are.
So if you feel your plans need to be realigned for whatever reason, take action and reconsider your goals and deadlines.
19. Reflect on Obstacles and Find Solutions
Each challenge holds a lesson.
When obstacles arise, reflect on what they’re teaching you.
Do you need more support, clarity, or resilience?
Are your goals and timelines realistic enough?
By meeting your challenges head-on, you will continue to grow and learn from mistakes and challenges, becoming someone who can hold the vision for your life without letting anything stand in the way.
Final Thoughts
Creating a life plan isn’t just about following a series of steps; it’s a commitment to building a life of purpose and meaning.
It’s the bold decision to live intentionally, honor your deepest values, and grow toward the person you’re meant to become.
Let these steps be your guide, a compass that keeps you connected to what truly matters.
This is how you build a life that feels deeply fulfilling — a life that is, in every way, uniquely and authenticallly your own.
If you need help writing your 10-year life plan, The Master Plan includes all the worksheets you need to create your life roadmap in just a few hours. So grab your copy below!
