How to Plan For a Successful Future

Last Updated: July 24, 2022 Approved

"I really want to make it in life, but I don't know how!" Success is inherently something we strive for, from the moment we are educated to the moment we land that first job. The whole process is meant to move you forward in life, building yourself a better future. But how do you start planning such a feat?

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Thinking About a Future for Yourself

1
Find a place where you can think without being disturbed. At the end of it all, you are planning for a successful future for yourself, which means you need to first get into the mindset of thinking about and for yourself.
- Thinking about a successful future is a necessity that should be done without any distractions or interruptions. Being in a quiet place will also help you think on your own as no other people will have little to zero influence on decisions you feel comfortable with. It is your life that you’re thinking about, so staying focused in this moment of thinking, will be of benefit later when you need to stay focused on the actual acts to be successful.
- To spend time on your own shouldn’t be discouraged. Before taking action for a better future for yourself, you need some clarity on what it is you exactly want. Ask yourself questions pertaining to what it is that you want, and not what others want for you.
2
Explore key questions about the future you want. Is the life you see for yourself one where you aren’t living for others? Why do you want a change? What could be a manageable change that can be made pretty much immediately? Asking questions like these can help you get to know yourself better and they also get you to rationalize your thoughts, instead of blindly dreaming. The more difficult the questions are to answer, the more likely they are to be most important ones.

Advertisement
3
Stop thinking of the past and focus on the present and future. This will assimilate into your mind and help you to persevere towards your dream. Dwelling on things past is a hindrance when you attempt to move forward. Being successful is all about going forward, developing, and letting things go to make it all possible.
- Letting go of the past will make you more present with yourself. You may feel like you’re moving forward, but if you’re mentally stuck elsewhere, then your mind is unable to sort out what is currently happening and what needs to happen. What happened has happened, and what needs to happen should be thought about now.
- Thinking about what you did can lead you to think about failures. This can discourage you, and can make you start thinking about your self-worth in a bad light. Instead, take failures as lessons on what not to do so you don’t repeat mistakes.
- Moving on will help you live with what you’ve done (good or bad). There’s no way to succeed in the future if you don’t accomplish putting mistakes and other failures behind you. Doing this can make you put all of your energy towards reaching your dream, so that nothing is wasted in things that can no longer be dealt with.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Finding Your Passion

1
Review your life up until now, and look for a passion – something that comes naturally to you. A passion will fuel confidence and create excitement on your path to succeed.
- Think about what you can turn into work that doesn’t necessarily feel like work. Passion and success are highly intertwined. It is the one thing that can give you that natural enthusiasm and set you on a trajectory to happiness and success.
- Don’t be shy to go all the way with what excites you. If something does this for you, then it is a sure sign that it is your passion. It’s something that you are comfortable doing because it simply makes you feel good about yourself, and what you’re capable of.
- If you’re having troubles finding out what your passion is, look for patterns in what you’ve done. Perhaps a hobby you’ve been doing can be made into a career? Or maybe past work experiences emanate something about you as a person. For example, volunteer experience usually speaks to what a person cares about and is willing to go the extra mile for it.
EXPERT TIP

Jennifer Kaifesh
Founder, Great Expectations College Prep
Jennifer Kaifesh is the Founder of Great Expectations College Prep, a tutoring and counseling service based in Southern California. Jennifer has over 15 years of experience managing and facilitating academic tutoring and standardized test prep as it relates to the college application process. She takes a personal approach to her tutoring, and focuses on working with students to find their specific mix of pursuits that they both enjoy and excel at. She is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Jennifer Kaifesh
Founder, Great Expectations College Prep

Define success on your own terms based on your interests and goals. Finding the intersection of what you love and what you're good at almost always leads to living a fulfilling life. Give some serious thought to the things you enjoy doing, but don't be afraid to try new things through your job, hobbies, or personal life!
2
Start feeling proud of what you’re good at. This will allow you to continuously work to get what you want in life. Confidence and passion work in tandem to better your chances of succeeding through the thing you love to do most.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- When you’re enthusiastic and proud of what you can do or create, you are better equipped to counter any impending obstacles. Because there was an initial excitement felt, you’ll be more inclined to do the things necessary to keep the feeling there.
- Others will notice your confidence. It's one thing to turn a passion into work, but when you emanate a pride that is unique to you and your work, others might see this and offer you great opportunities.
- It will remind you of your value. You may have failed at some things in your past, but once you find that one thing to feel proud of, you'll in turn have a better sense of who you are and the direction in which you want your life to go.
3
Trust your instincts. When you've found your passion, you'll have a natural instinct to work with it, and not against it. After all, a passion makes you feel good and confident about yourself; one of our most primal instincts is to trust our gut. Its simplicity and purity keep us from being too easily swayed by what others have to say, and it can play a great role in your quest for success.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Maintaining Motivation

1
Write in a journal to keep track of your progress. This can also help you see how much you are diverging away from your original plan (as you will most likely do), but don’t be afraid if you are. Most of the people who have achieved their dreams took the first steps by writing in a journal.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Having things laid out before your eyes on paper can put things into perspective. If this is in a list format, then you can see whether or not you are taking on too much that can tire you out before you even reach your goals. Sometimes we dream bigger than reality. This isn’t a bad thing, but it is important to keep in mind what you are mentally capable of handling realistically.
- Set benchmarks. When you’ve seen that you’ve done a lot of what is in your journal (or wherever you’re writing), then group it as a small success. This is also a great way of keeping track of how long it takes you to complete things. Don’t shy away from adjusting the goals as it may help you succeed in what you want to do in a more manageable timeline.
- It’s a way to celebrate! Checking things off lists are sure signs that you are on the right track to what you want. Take these small wins, and make time to celebrate how far you’ve in making that small dream you had reality.
2
Keep your goals listed somewhere visible. It may help you to be able to see your goals whenever you leave or enter your home, or even when you get in or out of your bed. Seeing these goals everyday will also keep you on the right track. It will help you steer away from distractions that can prevent you from reaching benchmarks, and other small successes.
- Having visual, tangible reminders will help you remember that what you are doing is important enough to be constantly referring back to.
- It doesn’t hurt to be reminded of promises you’ve made to yourself. Writing things down and seeing them on a daily basis, will make them hard to forget. Since you wrote them down, it’s hard to ignore the fact that these were steps you set for yourself to succeed.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Setting Things in Motion

1
Start a savings account and deposit 25% of your monthly income. By saving this you’ll also have the funds to dip in to for the little things that will help you in the grander schemes of things. For example: a car, new places to live are purchases that all count towards you being successful. Whether it be buying necessary supplies or taking small classes for career preparation, every little step counts towards the bigger ones to success.
2
Look at what needs to be changed in your lifestyle. Your habits and current way of living and other minute details should be scrutinized to see if they are of any real benefit to you.
- Cut out any unnecessary spending can make a huge difference. By having that extra cash on hand because you choose not to buy materialistic things, will help you in the long run. It all boils down to you learning how to spend wiser!. It may mean adjusting a lot of things in your life, but it will be worth it one day.
- Research where you are going. If what you want to succeed in requires an education, then you should consider taking some classes so you are prepared (saved money can really help with this, as an education can be very expensive).
- Look at the people you surround yourself with. Who you are around can either distract you from what you need to do for yourself, or they can be a great support system. This doesn’t mean you have to necessarily cut out people who are holding you back, but just keep in mind how much time you are spending with who.
3
Work your plan. Put it into action by following your predetermined plan when you wrote in your journal. Try to stick as closely to it as possible, yet leave room for change.
- Don’t wait too long to start putting your plan in to action! Whether it be starting school, or going out looking for experience, you should be on top of opportunities and put yourself out there. The longer you wait, the more difficult it may be to start.
- Be flexible. Remember that the plan you make isn’t a concrete one. Life isn’t like what it is you write on paper when it comes to planning your future. Think of your plan as a skeleton, and you need to work with what you are given to build upon it, rather than trying to do everything your way, how you want it.
- Keep dreaming. As hard as you work to get where you want, it doesn’t hurt to keep dreaming of more things to do and achieve. Keep your plan ever-growing (but flexible), have fun finding your way to success.

Warnings

Know the kind of friends you keep and move around with. Be your own person, not a follower!

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 260 Not Helpful 19
Think before you make a move.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 272 Not Helpful 22
Ignore criticism (although take some in to consideration), and stay focused.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 217 Not Helpful 29