The joy of achieving what really matters

End of year, tomorrow is Christmas eve and I decided to review my life plan - or, how I like to call it: my Happy Life Map (yeah, it sound very cheesy, but it's just like that to me, a map to be happy and feel good about myself and others). The first time I started it, in 2005, it was dozens of pages with lots of stuff. In the end, I could never focus on what really mattered. Then I started simplifying it more and more (making it less and less extensive). Now it has 3 pages (but if you removed all the inspiring quotes that are in there, it would be 2 pages).

Now I just put there my mission (what I consider it to be at th moment at least) and some small phrases with vision for each key area in my life, like career, family, friends, own behaviour, love, leisure and so on. And in each of these areas of life I put 2-3 milestones. Some are more long term, others more short term, depending on what I think is appropriate.

I was reviewing it today and my eyes sometimes were shining of happiness, after looking how I achieved at least half of the milestones (around 80% of what I desired to achieve in 2008). These are the things that really mattered and it's very very good to feel I am walking in the right direction. Of course, the path to happiness never ends, so I will keep walking, while enjoying the view. Of course in some parts, I had some drawbacks, for example, love, but that's usually the way it is to me: when it relates to people I am not that good, but I am improving. Being concious of the need for change is the beginning of change.

Now that I refreshed a little each vision (to be more accurate to what I really want) and reviewed the milestones, now it’s time to make the plan. Be prepared, here I come, mr. 2009!