Designing Your Life

Create three alternative Odyssey Plans for your life

Instructions

Create a visual timeline of the next 5 years of your life
On a sheet of paper, draw five columns. Each column will represent a separate year. Then draw sketches of the major highlights of each year. Include personal, career, and non-career events. Consider things like your marital status, health, job, going back to school, vacation spots, etc.
Create a title for the plan
On the top of the sheet of paper, write down a six-word headline that describes the essence of your alternative life plan. For example, “Using my talents to help kids.”
Ask questions to test your assumptions about this alternate life
For example, where will you live? Do you have what it takes to live this alternate life? What kind of experience will you gain if you follow this path? What are the potential impacts of this alternative? Is your idea good enough? What specific company or industry do you see yourself working in? Are you ready to take on this much risk? Will this idea be profitable?
Gauge the resources, likability, confidence, and coherence of the plan
Resources—Do I have the time, skills, money, or contacts to pull off this plan?
Likability—How much do I like this plan? Am I hot, warm, or cold about it?
Confidence—Am I fully confident or uncertain about making this plan work?
Coherence—Is this plan sensible? Is it consistent with my Workview and Lifeview?
Repeat the process to create your 2nd and 3rd alternative life plan
Get separate sheets of paper and create two more alternative life plans. Make these alternatives a bit riskier and wilder than the first one. Notice how each alternative makes you feel. Is it energizing you?
Share your plans with others
Let your close friends know about your alternative plans and ask for feedback. You can also go through the whole process as a group and then exchange ideas.