What better time to review our “Plan de Vida” than at the start of the year! It’s definitely deeper and more comprehensive than a New Year’s resolution. It’s defining one’s continuing plan for life.
In Costa Rica, Plan de Vida means “why I wake up in the morning.” My life plan. My life’s purpose. What keeps me going.
The Japanese version of this is “Ikigai”. My reason for being. It’s represented graphically by four intersecting circles that should help you identify your Ikigai: What you love. What you are good at. What the world needs. What you can be paid for.
People who have a Plan de Vida live rich, meaningful, productive lives. They know what to do with their time, talents and treasure.
The plan can be simple. It can be complicated – meaning, perhaps, that the plan requires an organizational structure, big resources, an implementation scheme, and a group of dedicated people to make it happen.
Be it simple or complicated, a Plan de Vida – to be truly fulfilling – usually has a commonality of purpose: doing good for oneself and for others.
And most importantly – doing it for God. Not for self-glory.
A selfish Plan de Vida is stingy, and will therefore not give any sense of satisfaction or fulfillment – only insatiable greed and incalculable misery. No amount of money or fame will ever eradicate the pain, suffering and emptiness that comes with selfishness and greed.
On the other hand, when our Plan de Vida includes sharing our success, sharing the fruits of our labor with others – the certainty of fulfillment and peace of mind is almost always there.
And so you’ve most probably met people who exude this sense of quiet stability, calm intentionality and purpose. They have nothing to prove. They know that what they’re doing matters – but they don’t brag about it. They don’t waste time on intrigues, politics, power plays, or manipulation.
They’re not busy for the sake of being busy. They don’t define their significance by popularity or praise.
They maximize their abilities because they know that tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Establishing a Plan de Vida is quite simple. List down the things that are essential to you. The things that are non-negotiable to you, and must be done on a daily basis. Have a schedule, a routine, a time frame.
List down the resources you’ll need. The resources you have. The people who can help you. The people you want to help, to bless.
Have a plan for your self-care. On a daily and weekly basis – schedule your “Me Time.” List down the things you should do to have these much-needed breaks that will refresh your mind, body and spirit.
It can be as simple as taking that first cup of coffee in the morning in a quiet nook, before you launch into the day’s activities. Read a chapter from the Bible as you’re having your coffee. Better yet, have a daily reading program – to keep your mind and spirit in tune with God. Look for an appropriate one in the YouVersion app. It’s free!!!
Block off time, every day, to read the Bible and pray – this is the most important part of my own Plan de Vida. It certainly gets things done because you’re asking and relying on the most powerful Person around – God – to be your primary source of wisdom and strength! What kind of support could be stronger and wiser and more powerful than Jesus Christ?
The Bible gives us this firm, solid assurance: “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me
and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29: 11-12)
The solid assurance we have is that God Himself has plans for us. We don’t have to keep guessing and flailing around.
All we have to do is surrender our lives to Jesus, and ask Him to take full control of our lives.
As we obey Him moment-by-moment, day-by-day, we will surely experience and enjoy His plans for our us – “plans to proper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.”
Define, refine, and implement your Plan de Vida with Jesus Christ today.
