In the Harvard Business Review article “Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want” by Rainer Strack, Susanne Dyrchs, and Allison Bailey, we learn how smart planning, like in business, can make our lives better.

This is helpful for people in the middle of their careers who have families.

First, we identify our SLAs (strategic life areas) and then our SLUs (strategic life units) to map out our priorities and how they are connected.

Using the SLUs (strategic life units) we begin to make life choices about where to spend our time to achieve improvement in certain SLU areas. These choices translate into actionable activities, which can be tracked and adjusted over time.

Download the My Life Strategy 1-pager here. 

Key Tips for Work:

• Set Your Own Goals: Think about what success means to you at work.

• Match Work with Life Goals: Make sure your job helps you reach your life dreams.

• Plan for the Future: Have long-term goals for your work that fit with your life.

• Check Your Life Balance: Often think about how your job is part of your whole life.

• Learn from Others: Find people who balance work and life well and learn from them.

• Choose Wisely: Make job choices that help your whole life plan.

Key Tips for Home:

• Family First: Always think about your family when planning your life.

• Build Strong Relationships: Spend time and effort on your family and friends.

• Balance Work and Home: Find a good mix of work and time with family.

• Teach Your Kids Well: Use your life goals to guide your kids.

• Get Involved in the Community: Help out in your area, showing your family how to be responsible.

• Grow Yourself: Spend time on hobbies and learning, which is good for your family too.

In short, this way of planning helps you make choices that are good for both your work and your family.