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How to Plan Your Life Like a CEO

It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind of work, school, activities and social life. But have you thought about where you want to be in 5 or 10 years? What kind of career interests you? When can you say your life is great or successful? Is there something else you'd rather be studying? What areas are you neglecting? How can you balance fun with achieving your goals?

I've found a framework called Strategize Your Life (SYL) that can help you gain clarity and develop a plan for your future. SYL uses strategic thinking tools that top business leaders use to map out corporate strategies. You can apply the same principles to chart your own life course. Remember that the future is where you will spend most of the rest of your life, it is worth giving it a thought.


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What is SYL?

So what exactly is SYL? The process involves working through seven questions to define what really matters to you and create your vision for a meaningful life. It is a method used for business strategy, adapted by Rainier Strack, Susanne Dyrchs, Allison Bailey and others for personal life strategies.

First, you assess your current "portfolio" - how you spend your time and energy. Research shows people often find joy through relationships, challenge, purpose and growth. The insights help you spot areas for improvement and establish objectives.

The benefits of SYL are that it provides structure to your thinking. Instead of vague hopes, you end up with a clear roadmap. Executing a strategy also increases your chances of success compared to winging it without a plan. Here are some key pros:

  • Clarity of purpose: By reflecting on core values and what brings you fulfillment, you clarify your reasons for choices big and small. This helps you stay on track despite inevitable challenges.
  • Balanced growth: The process illuminates where you're already investing yourself well versus opportunities to diversify. Balancing different life domains (career, relationships, hobbies etc.) promotes well-being.
  • Informed risks: With a strategy in place, you can test assumptions and take calculated risks, like career pivots or geographical moves, with confidence instead of blindly.
  • Accountability: Developing measurable objectives and timelines like any business plan increases your accountability. Regular reviews keep you progressing towards your vision.

Of course, no plan is perfect. Potential disadvantages include:

  • Rigidity: Life throws curveballs, so having an overly rigid strategy risks inflexibility. SYL works best with regular updates so the plan evolves with you.
  • Analysis paralysis: Overanalyzing paralyzes action. The key is not getting lost in endless questioning but instead experimenting with different pathways.
  • Self-doubt: Being so introspective could highlight uncertainties and stir self-criticism. Maintain optimism that small steps forward are progress.
  • Distraction: It's easy to get consumed by future world-building instead of present responsibilities. Guard against strategic planning detracting from real-world duties.

Those who have studied the Boston Consulting Group (or Growth Share) Matrix for a company's product portfolio analysis, will find many similarities. In fact, the SYL matrix will tell you which Strategic Life Areas or Units you should invest more time and resources in. 


Conclusion

So in summary, applying strategic thinking to your life through SYL can focus your energy and maximize your chances of finding purpose, happiness and satisfaction. The next step is for you to schedule some reflection time and start crafting your personal life strategy.

Remember - perfection is not the goal here. Commit to trying SYL, learning from mistakes, and adjusting your sails as needed. You've got your whole life ahead - now go strategize it!

Here is the Google Form https://bit.ly/sylform which will give you the data table needed to create your own SYL Matrix. Enjoy!


Works cited

Strack, Rainier, Susanne Dyrchs, and Allison Bailey (6 December 2023) "Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want Seven questions can clarify what really matters to you." Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/12/use-strategic-thinking-to-create-the-life-you-want or https://bit.ly/syldralbert 

Explanatory video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/dbiNhAZlXZk?si=OXLuwj1nA3-UDdYG

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