Creating a ten-year plan for a remarkable life

Creating a ten-year plan seems like a daunting task, but going through the process makes your life’s biggest aspirations seem doable. I recently finished my plan after listening to a podcast episode of The Tim Ferris Show with Debbie Millman on as a guest. 

Now, I’ve listened to a handful of Tim’s episodes through Mr. Sweet in the car before, but Debbie’s episode on How to Design a Life left me inspired. Her story was amazing. So when Debbie spoke about creating a ten-year plan, I was intrigued and made some plans of my own to complete one.

Directions from the show’s transcript  

Debbie Millman: So, let’s say it is winter, 2027. What does your life look like? What are you doing? Where are you living? Who are you living with? Do you have pets? What kind of house are you in? Is it an apartment? Are you in the city? Are you in the country? What does your furniture look like? What is your bed like? What are your sheets like? What kind of clothes do you wear? What kind of hair do you have? Tell me about your pets. Tell me about your significant other.

Do you have children? Do you have a car? Do you have a boat? Talk about your career. What do you want? What are you reading? What are you making?

What excites you? What is your health like? And write this day, this one day ten years from now. So, one day in the winter of 2027; what does your whole day look like? Start from the minute you wake up, brush your teeth, have your coffee or tea, all the way through until when you tuck yourself in at night. What is that day like for you? Dream big. Dream without any fear. Write it all down. You don’t have to share it with anyone other than yourself. Put your whole heart into it and write like there’s no tomorrow. Write like your life depends on it because it does. And then, read it once a year and see what happens. It’s magic. It’s magic, Tim.

No matter when you’re reading this post, now’s an ideal time to craft a story about your future self ten years from now. Here’s how I went about creating my own:

My process for writing a ten-year plan

I struggled with writing my plan at first. The furthest I’d get was writing the title and changing it to the appropriate header size. I’d type, delete, then go on to delete entire sections. Then I literally typed, “A typical day in 2032 looks like this for me…” The process started to unfold from there. 

Debbie notes not to hold back when going through the exercise. I myself felt zero pressure to have everything figured out in one sitting. In fact, it took me one week to finish my plan. I’d add details here and there, like when an idea popped into my mind or after being inspired by a Netflix docuseries.

I also wrote my ten-year plan in presence tense, as if what I could fast forward to was here today. I surrendered to the process, and this is where the power of this exercise truly comes. My deepest ambitions came alive. I claimed my desired destiny.

You see, it’s not about being in control; it’s about having a vision and knowing what to focus on exactly for your life ahead. And if none of the plans you summoned work out later, at least you started the process and that led you somewhere great, right?

How I structured my plan

Here’s how I outlined and began crafting my ten-year plan:

1. I started off with a general statement affirming who I am now and who I’d like to be in ten years.

2. I envisioned what a day in 2032 would look like in detail.

3. I came up with a Plan B to have flexibility in my long-term thinking.

4. I quickly answered some of the questions Debbie posed because I wanted to be direct.

5. I wrapped up the rewarding exercise with a summary.

Here’s a screenshot to show you what I mean:

All in all, my plan consists of 5 pages with 11 point font on Google Docs. I also intend on refining some parts at the beginning of each new year. Debbie was right—the process is magical! I see my ten-year plan unfolding with each passing day.

So now I’m curious about you. Is creating a ten-year plan something you’d try, or are you in the process of doing one right now? Let me know how you plan on creating a remarkable, splendid life in the comments below!

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The sunset at the Ganges River in Rishikesh, India