A life project or life plan is a set of goals, ideas, strategies and desires related to what a person wants to do at different times of their existence. It is one of the main tools to define one's own goals and achieve the maximum probability of achieving them, which is why it is of great importance for any individual. The life project defines, among other things, what the person wants to achieve in different areas of their life and what steps they are going to take to achieve these goals.
Therefore, it plays a role as an instrument of direction, in addition to serving to motivate the individual to achieve their goals and guide their actions towards it. Within a life project all kinds of elements are included, related to the different important areas for the person. Thus, a life plan can include goals and plans related to the family, relationships, work, studies, health or spirituality, among other things.
There are many ways to create a life plan and many models to raise it. However, one of the most important is that of Robert Dilts, one of the main promoters of neuro-linguistic programming and life planning projects. In this article we will see how to implement this method.
In this video we will explain the parts of a life project, how it is done and we will give you an example so that you understand it better. Parts of a life plan and its characteristics Robert Dilts is a researcher specializing in neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and the creator of one of the most famous models for developing a life plan. The main idea behind it is that changes, goals and objectives can be carried out in six different areas, each with certain characteristics.
These six levels are organized based on the ease or difficulty with which they can be modified. In order to develop a life plan correctly, it is necessary to take into account what levels can be worked with, and in which of them the necessary steps to achieve the goals that have been proposed would be found. Within Robert Dilts' life plan model, the six levels are as follows: Environment, Behavior, Skills, Beliefs, Identity, and Spirituality.
Below we will see what each of them consists of and how they can affect the life project. 1- Environment The first level is the environment. It includes all the external conditions that surround the behaviors, including the place but also other elements such as the moment or the people involved in what we do.
The environment is the easiest factor to change when we want to achieve a goal for our life plan, since we only have to move from one place to another to modify it. Even so, its effect on the other levels can be very great, so learning to choose the best environment or change one that does not improve us is a very useful skill to achieve what we want. Examples of environments are the place where we live, where we study or where we work.
2- Behavior The second level that must be taken into account to carry out our life plan is that of our behaviors. It includes both the actions we carry out proactively and the reactions we have to what happens in our environment. Some experts also include in it the behaviors that we have decided not to perform but could have done.
This is the level of the scale over which we have the most control, as well as being the first that depends entirely on ourselves. For this reason, a large part of the changes in our lives and the pursuit of our goals begin here. Examples of behaviors are what we decide to study, what sports we play, what we do in our free time or what kind of people we spend our time with.
3- Skills or competencies This level is also known as the "how to". It includes all the capacities that we already have, in addition to those that we want or have to develop in order to be able to pursue our life plan correctly. A person who is operating from this level will think above all about what he has to learn to achieve the results he dreams of.
However, acquiring new abilities is considerably more complex than changing our behaviors, so modifications at this level are considerably more expensive. Examples of skills are public speaking, speaking English, programming, writing, or learning laboratory techniques. 4- Beliefs The belief level is also known as the "why" level.
This includes our thoughts, our values, and the reasons behind our goals, actions, and behaviors. Beliefs are much more difficult to access than behaviors or skills, but they tend to have a very pronounced effect on the results we obtain in different areas. Therefore, in order to carry out our life project, it is essential that our beliefs are aligned with it.
5- Identity Identity has to do with the set of beliefs we harbor about ourselves. From this level the sense of "I" is derived; and depending on how this is, our life project will change to a great extent. Changing our own identity is something that can only be done indirectly, by working on our beliefs, behaviors and abilities.
However, modifying it until it is aligned with what we want is essential to be able to pursue our life project correctly. 6- Spirituality For Robert Dilts, spirituality was at a level above even one's own identity, since it could not be explained logically. This level would include the feeling of being part of something bigger than oneself, although in this sense it is not necessary to be talking about religion.
Thus, elements such as the family, the community itself or belonging to a charitable cause could be considered part of the level of spirituality. A large part of our life project derives from this, so it is important to know its content as much as possible. How to make a life plan step by step There are many different ways to approach the task of making a life plan, but one of the most effective is to follow the model of Robert Dilts that we have already seen.
However, to apply it to this task, it is necessary to use the levels from the most abstract to the most concrete, as we will see below. Knowing spirituality, identity and values The first thing you have to be clear about in order to design your life project is to thoroughly understand your spirituality, your identity and your values. How would you like your children or grandchildren to talk about you once you are gone?
What are the things that are really important to you? If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you try to do? There are many techniques to determine what your ideal life would be like and what really moves you.
Discovering this is the first step to be able to develop your life project, since from here is where all the other actions that you must carry out in the following levels will come from. Know what skills you need Once you know what you want, the next step is to think about what skills you need to develop to get there . For example, if you wanted to be a successful doctor, you would probably have to study at university to acquire all the skills you need to be able to dedicate yourself to it.
Know what behaviors you need From the level of skills, conclusions can be drawn about what behaviors must be carried out regularly to achieve the proposed objectives. Continuing with the example of medicine, our student would surely have to dedicate time every day to prepare for his exams and practice what he learns in class. Deciding if it is necessary to change the environment Finally, in many cases, modifying our environment so that it is more favorable to our life plan can greatly help us to achieve what we have proposed.
Now let's look at an example of a student's life plan. Ana is a high school senior who wants to work for NASA. After much reflection, he has realized that he wants to contribute to the world and help humanity to advance, and for that he has decided to get hired by what for him is the best company in the world.
At first he realizes that his biggest problem is that he doesn't believe his goal is possible. However, after working on his identity and beliefs, he becomes convinced that if he works hard enough he can get selected to work for NASA. The next step that Ana has to take is to consider what skills the people who enter this organization have.
Among other things, you have to be able to master subjects such as calculus, programming, logic, physics and technology. Since he doesn't know much about any of these subjects yet, he decides to take action and enroll in aerospace engineering. Once inside the race, he practices and studies every day (habits and behavior), and meets more and more with people who share his ambitions and dreams (environment).
Little by little, she develops the skills she needs to achieve her goal, and once she finishes her degree, she gets a job in her dream company.
