A Simple Tool For Planning Your Life Goals
Updated: Sep 18
You want to change and have an idea.
And yet, you have doubts and worries. Is it a good plan? Will it work? Will it make you happy?
How do you get those questions answered and start embarking on this life-altering (or not) change?
I like to borrow a tool I learned back in my corporate days called,...
"What Would Have To Be True?
I learned this from a designing strategy program I took from IDEO U. It’s simple.
Ask yourself “What would have to be true for this to be a good idea?”
A Real Life Example
Let me walk you through a scenario from my life so you can see how this works.
After chatting with a friend who had recently retired, my boyfriend and I discussed our plans for retirement.
He suggested we buy a boat and live on it, permanently. I love the water, so at first I was excited by the idea.
And yet, something gnawed at me. Even though this sounded so exciting and romantic, would it be a good idea for us?
Enter - What Would Have To Be True. We created a list of the things that would have to be true for this to be a good idea. It didn’t take long to realize that there were two critical factors that were important to test before we could commit to this life change.
We would have to learn how to sail
We would have to be able to be happy on a boat for more than 2 weeks at a time
I am sure there were others, but if we couldn't get past these two, the other conditions were unnecessary to test.
Test #1
Given that it was late in the season in the midwest where we live, we found a sailing class in North Carolina in September. After 2 days out on the Pamlico Sound experiencing both great winds and the calmest of calm, We confirmed that we could sail.
And BONUS, I could dock the boat without swearing at everyone around me.
So great news,...
Test #2
Now would we be happy on a boat for more than 2 weeks at a time. Given that it was the time of COVID, our Thanksgiving plans were trashed and we had Thanksgiving free for the first time in my adult life. What better time to test out living on a sailboat than the week of Thanksgiving where we could socially distance on the pier in St Petersburg, FL. So off we went with our gear, food for the drive down to avoid stopping as much as possible, 2 of our kids, and a whole lot of hope.
And then - we saw the boat,...
Just in case you skimmed over that pro and con list, I want to iterate the cause of the freakout - the boat was double the size of the boat we used to learn to sail. It was a 50 foot sailboat.
It seemed the test was already over before it started. We were ready to give up and hire a captain.
To make a long story short, after being told there were no captains we could hire because - um - It’s the week of Thanksgiving - we went out on an orientation sail with a captain and we realized the extra 25 feet didn’t make a difference and we were fine.
We spent the week on the boat and had a great time.
So, test number two - would I be happy on a boat for more than 2 weeks?
The answer was no. When you live on a boat, there is very little room. Your stuff is everywhere because storage is limited. Cleaning is almost impossible and, if you know me, you know that my long, thick, hair ended up everywhere and was difficult to sweep away from the textured floors. Hosing the deck down was a non-starter because our stuff was everywhere. The dirt and grime would drive me crazy - and I’m not even a neat freak. So bad news,...
How The Tests Saved Us
These tests were a small investment to make to ensure we didn’t make a change that would cost a lot of money, waste a lot of time, and in the end, reduce our happiness.
So we made a compromise. We did a lease share on a sailboat on Lake Michigan for 3 summers where we could sail 14 days a summer and enjoy the fresh air, the beautiful view of Chicago from the lake, and the company of many friends who were happy to join us.
We plan on continuing our sail adventures including a possible sail around Lake Michigan, in the British Virgin Islands, and the Greek Isles. But we will ensure we always have a home with solid ground available to rest our heads and store our stuff.
Now It Is Your Turn
Why not try “What Would Have to Be True” for your dreams? Think about what would have to be true about:
You, including your preferences, attitudes, values, physical limitations, etc,...
Your partner, if any
The infrastructure necessary to make the change
The resources you need to make the change
Your family and their needs
Your friends
Any external factors such as geo-political issues, monetary issues, travel restrictions, etc,...
And test the conditions that are true barriers to you achieving your goals.
Then, if the test succeed, go for it!
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