How to Plan Your Life and Live on Purpose as a Woman of God
Do you currently have a system to plan your life and live on purpose as a woman of God? It’s okay if that question stumps you because in all actuality, most people don’t. For the longest time, I just put one foot in front of the other and tried to do life as best as I could. As a result, I felt like I was skating through my days and not really living.(Can you relate to my struggle?)
But that’s not the end of my story (or yours either, friend!) If you’re tired of “just making it” and ready to move forward by living with intention, you’re in the right place. Let’s unpack practical ways you can plan your life with ease and live the intentional life you crave.
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What does it mean to plan your life?
Have you noticed that life has a pattern and rhythm to it? Some days, seasons, and years just seem to fly by without much thought because you’re busy living life.
Oftentimes we find ourselves living without much thought, purpose, or true mission. Then, when we get to the end of a year or season, we wonder where the time went and what we’ve really done with our life. We were too busy juggling all the day to day activities without much purpose or thought.
Yet the idea of creating a plan for your life means you identified your priorities, know where (or how) you want to be in the future, and created a flexible plan to make that happen.
It’s living with a mission in mind and creating a loose plan for each area of your life to live out your core values. Simply put, you know what matters to you and do your best to guard your time and heart accordingly.
Why should you plan your life?
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” – Yogi Berra
Personally, I want to live the life God has planned for me and not squander my days. Yet if I’m not careful, I miss the mark completely.
Truthfully, without a loose life plan and no vision of where you’re headed, there’s no real target or goal to your days.
The benefits of planning your life include:
- following God’s plan for your life
- making your days matter and living your core values
- choosing how you spend your time
- more time for what matters most to you
- breathing room in your life and schedule
- more time for ministry or to do the work of the Lord
By praying through your life and seeking the Lord for His vision, you can know:
- who God has called you to be
- where God has called you to go
- what really matters to you
- how to live those priorities in action
Once you know where you’re headed and what matters, you’re able to start prioritizing your time according to your priorities.
You’ll have a clear vision of where God is calling you and determine how to live that out in everyday life.
How to Plan Your Life So You Can Live on Purpose
Alright, let’s dive into practical ways you can make this happen and start living your intentional life.
Seek the Lord
As a woman who loves the Lord, this should be the first step and the cornerstone of your life. While it may not be second nature to pray about the small details of your life, it’s a powerful way to surrender your life to the Lord and seek His guidance.
Trust that God is faithful to reveal Himself to you and will supply you with wisdom if you ask.
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5
Then, ask the Lord to show you how to live on purpose and manage your life for His glory, not yours. Trust that He will reveal His plan for your life and show you where you should go.
Reflect on the current state of your life
Before you can move forward, you need to honestly examine your life (even those areas of life-management you rarely think about!)
Ask yourself…
- What areas of my life am I thriving?
- On a scale of 1-10, how is my….
-
- spiritual life
- family relationships
- self and soul care
- home management
- routines
- finances
- habits
-
This personal evaluation will help you see what’s going well and celebrate the wins. Look closely at the systems or daily routines that are going well for you. Examine what routines and habits you’re doing that are second nature that are helping you move forward already.
Determine the areas that need tweaking and the obstacles in your way
As you thought through the evaluation from above, did you identify any areas where you are struggling?
What are the obstacles in your way and holding you back in those areas? Take a few minutes to pray through these areas.
Ask the Lord to help you…
- find a way to move past your issue(s)
- create habits that help you
- have strength in His name in tough moments
Then make a loose plan to help you tackle those obstacles, starting with your greatest need. Don’t try to change all the areas of your life at once. Start with your greatest pain point, then create a flexible plan to work past your obstacles. You can do it!
Identify your core values
As you start to plan your life, it’s key to pray through your core values and determine what matters most.
Use your prayer journal to reflect on the following journal prompts:
- At the end of my life, I want others to say ____ about me…
- If all my possessions were taken away today, ____ would matter to me…
- I want to be known for these three things…
- I believe God _____….
- If I can only focus on three areas of my life, it will be ____…
- My most important relationships are ____…
- A Scripture that represents my whole life and is my life verse ___…
- ______ fills my soul with satisfaction and true joy….
Then, spend time reflecting on these answers and create a loose mission statement for your life. It doesn’t have to be fancy, eloquent, or perfect. Simply get a rough idea of where you want your life to be about and who you will represent with your time.
With these aspects in mind, let’s look at the primary areas of life to create management plans for.
7 Areas to Create a Life Plan For
The seven areas below are the different aspects of life that often have the most impact on our day to day functioning.
When you create plans, routines, and systems for these areas, that’s where intentional living starts. You know where you’re headed and have a flexible plan for how to make it happen.
Spiritual growth
Growing in faith and a deep relationship with God doesn’t just happen by accident. Like all relationships, spending time in the presence of God and being still before Him is how you get to know His heart and trust His character.
If you don’t already, start talking with God through prayer. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate. If you’re not sure of where to start or how to take your prayer life to a deeper level, don’t miss these simple prayer strategies for both new and seasoned believers.
Then, start reading the Bible, even if you never have before. Use a free Bible reading plan to guide your quiet time. Consider using a Bible study template to help you process and understand what you read. It’s so beneficial!
Family Life
When it comes to family, nothing could be more special than spending time with those you love.
As you plan your family life, be specific about planning your family culture and how you want your relationships to be. Pray through your vision for your family together and in your own personal quiet time.
Then, sit down and plan goals together. Also discuss practical ways you can achieve them as a family. The key is to do this as a family unit so everyone is on the same page and clear on where you’re headed together.
The benefits of planning your family life is building a stronger, more united family rooted in God’s promises. Then watch as you make memories that will last a lifetime and have strong roots of faith.
Work life
Plan your business and create systems and workflows to help you stay on track. Whatever work you do, consider setting SMART goals. (Don’t forget to pray for your work goals, too!)
As you set goals, create realistic tasks that will help you reach them in incremental steps. In the meantime, create a plan for business operations so you can delegate and outsource tasks and small jobs as needed.
The benefits of planning your business and workflow is having a stronger business, less stress, and reaching the business goals God has laid upon your heart.
Plan your time
If you long for breathing room, try a flexible planning routine. When you plan your year, month, day, and daily routines, you’re aware of where your time is spent.
Then, set aside time to plan and think through these areas. As you are planning, be specific about things you want to invest your time in and don’t hesitate to cut anything that seems to be taking advantage of your time.
When I have a planning session, the Abundant Life Planner walks me through the Pray, Plan, Do system for each of these areas of my life. It helps me keep biblical truths as the cornerstone for how I manage my time and life.
As you start to intentionally plan your life, you’ll find that life runs smoother and you will know what’s on your agenda at all times. It’s so worth it!
Home management
Home management is one of the most important aspects of life.
Creating home management systems and routines will help alleviate some of the stress of having to “do it all.”
Consider creating systems for cleaning, meal plans, and meal prep solutions on autopilot. Then, work on doing those tasks quickly, efficiently, and without perfectionism.
As you create home management system, pass your systems down to kids and family members so you’re not the only one doing it.
The benefits of creating a home management plan is you’ll be prepared and keep the chaos at bay. Plus, you’ll be ready to extend biblical hospitality at a moment’s notice because your house is “cleanish”!
Finances
Creating a solid financial plan is essential for ever family. Therefore, if you lack planning for it, chances are you may find yourself in debt, frivolously spending, or not reaching your money goals. Plus, as a Christian, you’re called to steward your life, finances included, for the glory of God.
If you’re new to financial planning, start by praying for wisdom in this area of your life. Then, take inventory of your current financial situation so you can budget and live within your means.
Next, work towards creating an emergency fund and make every effort to stay on top of your finances.
Finally, keep record of everything that comes in (credit) and everything that goes out (debit). It’s important to know where you are financially during each season of your life.
The benefits of creating financial plans is you’ll be able to have a healthy financial future, save for retirement, and possibly leave a financial legacy for your children. Plus, you’ll be able to further God’s kingdom through tithing and intentional giving.
Wellness and soul-care
As a busy woman, it’s easy to let wellness and soul-care take a back seat to everyone else’s needs, isn’t it?
Yet if wellness and self-care plans are not on your list, it’s time to start adding them in. You must plan to take care of you so you can be healthy, both emotionally and physically, for the tasks God has called you to.
To start, plan a simple way to work more movement in your day. Then, create a simple plan for healthy eating. While you’re at it, don’t forget to plan for rest, too.
Start small in all of these areas, but watch how these simple habits can help you live a stronger, healthier life with less-stress. Plus, you’ll be honoring God with your body and stewarding your health for His glory.
Ready, set, plan!
If reading this feels overwhelming or impossible, just breathe!
First, start by taking one area at a time to focus on. Dedicate time in going through the chosen area of life and use the suggestions mentioned.
Once you feel that you’ve gotten a handle on it, move to another area. Rinse and repeat until you’ve created realistic plans for all the areas.
As life changes, tweak your plans so your systems evolve as your life does.
Our favorite life planner for Christian women
Do you wish you had a complete guide to help you plan your life and pray through where God wants you?
The Abundant Life Planner will walk you through how to plan your life and then arm you with practical checklists to stay on track.
Plus, the mix-and-match planner templates help you create a custom, personalized planner that works for your own life.
Better yet, here’s a free planning page from the Abundant Life Planner to help you cultivate an intentional life that honors the Lord with your time. Download it here! Enjoy!