My Comments to a post as appended below:

Let me show you a way, but you got to work on it.

Grab two large sheets of unruled paper, preferably butcher paper or newsprint roll paper measuring say 6x4. Paste them on the wall. Grab some colour markers and sticky notes. You are going to work on them by standing on two feet.

On Paper One, draw 8 vertical columns, naming them as "What I want to be"; "... to do" ; "... to have" ; "... to learn"; "... to change"; "... to improve"; "where do I want to go"; "who do I want to me or engage", respectively.

They represent your life aspirations.

Now draw ten horizontal columns to form a matrix, and name them, academic pursuit, career aspirations, physical health, mental development, wealth creation, family relationships (including romance, parenting, etc.), social networking, recreational ventures (including sports, travel, etc.), spiritual development (including volunteering, religious pursuits, etc.) and entrepreneur side gigs, if any, respectively. These aspects represent your major life dimensions.

So you now have 80 boxes to fill your dreams and wishes.

Spend at least several days on this part, for you are figuring out your life trajectory. Just write what comes to mind. Try not to prejudge yourself.

Stand back from time to time to look at your written work with fresh eyes. Make use of the sticky notes to add more info where appropriate.

Once completed, I want you to reflect, contemplate and introspect what you really want. Ask yourself as you scan each dream or wish: is this what I really want? Will I be really happy and contended when I get it? am I prepared to do whatever it takes to get it?

Every time your response to any of the questions is a "nay", weed it out. It's not your goal to attain.

Now, looking at the totality of what you have done, narrow them down, say 20% to 30% of the total number of goals, to be your top priorities or bold initiatives, say for the next five years or so. This is very important for, in reality, you cannot manage all of them, but to concentrate on what really matters to you.

On Paper Two, draw an horizontal line across the centre from the left margin to the right margin.

Mark a point on the left of the line as your start-point. Mark a point on the right as your end-point. This end-point will thus represent the image of your ultimate achievement. Your vision, so to speak.

Now mark a transition point, say 3 inches, backwards from the end-point. Using sticky notes, and remembering the 20% to 30% chosen goals on Paper One, and ask yourself what do I need to accomplish in terms of specific, prioritised and executable tasks to reach here?

Paste the completed sticky notes on top of the transition point.

When finished, move back another 3 inches, and repeat.

Repeat until you reach the start-point. You now have a developmental path of transitory points from start-point to end-point. This will be your life trajectory, at least for the next five years.

You may want to use different colour sticky notes to denote tasks to do and complete for, say, the next 30 days, next 60 days, next 90 days, and so on.

You are not done yet. Using what I call the 7 M's, namely, Money, Metrics, Men, Methods, Machines, Materials, Management or Marketing to highlight resources you may need to complete each of the predetermined tasks or cluster of tasks. Write them on sticky notes and paste them below the line.

Stand back and do a gallery walk in front of your two masterpieces. Spend inordinate moments of solitude and quietude for reflection, contemplation and introspection.

You can even extend this seemingly mammoth project of yours to explore the use of the popular SWOT Matrix Analytical Grid. Again, using sticky notes, transpose your findings on to Paper Two. Strengths and Weaknesses go to the bottom half of the paper.

Opportunities and Threats go the top half of the paper.

You now have right in front of you, the blueprint for your life design, at least for the next five years.

Feel free to extend it to illustrate your life for the next ten years, or more.

You are the CEO or movie director.

Godspeed to you!

HOW TO CRAFT YOUR DEFINITE CHIEF AIM ~ MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM 'LAW OF SUCCESS' AND 'THINK AND GROW RICH' BY NAPOLEON HILL

I have had initially crafted the following simple design and execution template for myself in the late seventies or so, and subsequently expanded it to help high-school and pre-university students in Singapore throughout the nineties, as part of my strategy consultancy work in the schools, to set compelling, inspiring and overarching long-range goals and achieve goals in life.

Here are the operating mechanics:

A) First and foremost, know exactly what you want, and why, in terms of compelling, inspiring and overarching long-range goals and objectives:

a) what do I want to be?

b) what do I want to do?

c) what do I want to have?

d) what do I want to improve?

e) what do I want to change?

f) what do I want to learn?

g) where do I want to go?

h) who do I want to meet or engage as mentors?

in tandem with the following major life dimensions in your life:

i) academic pursuit (further and beyond);

ii) mental development;

iii) career aspirations;

iv) physical health;

v) financial wealth or financial development;

vi) family relationships, including romance;

vii) social networking;

viii) recreational ventures (including hobbies, interests, sports, vacations, etc.);

ix) spiritual development (including contributions to society, volunteering, religious pursuits, etc.);

x) entrepreneurial side-gigs, if any;

Take your time, a few days if needed as you are thinking about your

future!

You may end up with several useful ideas.

Narrow them down to say 3 to 5, by asking yourself, as you evaluate your goals:

• Do I really like or want it?
• Will I enjoy it when I get it?
• Am I prepared to do whatever it takes to get it?

If Yes for all questions, proceed; if NO, it's a NO GO!

B) Translate all your long-range goals and objectives in (1) into specific, prioritised and executable tasks that you need to accomplish daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and even annually;

C) With the end in mind as formulated in (1) and (2), work out your start-point, end-point and the developmental path of transition points in between;

In tactical execution, (2) and (3) form the basis of your systematic game plan.

This is where you can factor in your learning agenda, or study plan, or even your side-gig project plan, if any.

D) Pinpoint specific tasks that you need to accomplish at each transition point till the endpoint;

E) Establish metrics to measure your progress, or milestone accomplishments;

F) Assign and allocate personal accountability, as some tasks may need to be shared, e.g. with team members, if any;

G) Identify and marshal resources that are required to get all the work done;

[I like to call them the 7 M's: Money; Methods; Men; Machines; Materials; Metrics; and Mojo!]

H) Schedule a timetable for completion of each predefined task;

I) Highlight potential problems or challenges that may crop up along the Highway of Life, as you traverse on it;

J) Brainstorm and wrap up a slew of possible strategies to deal with (I);

This is your contingency plan.

K) Institute some form of system, like a visual Pert Chart, to track, control and monitor your forward trajectory, as laid out in your systematic game plan, in conjunction with all the critical elements of (4) to (10);

L) Follow-up massively and follow-through consistently your systematic game plan;

M) Put in your sweat equity of intense effort and focused execution;

N) Stay focused on your strategic objectives, but remain flexible in your tactical execution;

The ultimate fire test of your goal setting and goal achieving is in (L),(M) and (N)!

A nice parting shot, as food for thought:

"Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe, and enthusiastically act upon,... must inevitably come to pass. "

~ Paul J Meyer;