I’ve always loved planning and organising.
You might remember a couple of weeks ago I shared a post about Your Word of the Year: A Simple Tool for Growth. In that post I mentioned a detailed life planning framework I use. That framework is called the “V2MOM“.
As someone with a background in project management, I thrive on structure, lists, and frameworks. I even get a buzz from the planning part of holidays – researching, booking, and mapping out all the details is half the fun for me.
But my love for planning isn’t just about organising tasks or ticking boxes. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my recovery journey is that having a plan is key to creating a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Without a plan, it’s easy to drift. Without intention, it’s easy to say yes to things that don’t serve you or get overwhelmed when life gets messy.
That’s why I use the V2MOM framework. It’s a simple but powerful way to set clear goals, measure progress, and make sure what I’m doing aligns with what I truly value.
What is the V2MOM Framework?
V2MOM stands for:
- Vision: What do you want to achieve?
- Values: What’s important to you as you pursue this vision?
- Methods: How are you going to achieve your vision?
- Obstacles: What could get in the way?
- Metrics: How will you measure success?
Originally designed as a business planning tool, the V2MOM is highly adaptable, and I’ve found it works brilliantly in my personal life.
I have my V2MOM laid out in a Google Sheet, with my vision and values at the top, my obstacles at the bottom, and my methods and metrics organised in columns on the left. I also have 12 columns representing each month of the year, where I track my progress and reflect on my goals regularly.
This is a screen shot of my template:
A Real Plan for a Real Life provides a detailed guide and templates to create your own.
I Treat My Personal Planning Like a Project
At the end of every month, I have a meeting with myself to review how I’ve tracked with my methods and metrics. I update what’s working, what’s not, and adjust my plan if necessary.
This isn’t a rigid system – it evolves over time – but the effort I put into revisiting my vision and values keeps me grounded. It’s like New Year’s resolutions on steroids, but instead of fizzling out by February, it stays front and centre all year long.
Most recently, I took inspiration from the book The Wealth Money Can’t Buy by Robin Sharma. He talks about eight hidden habits to leading a truly rich life, and I’ve integrated those categories into my plan to make sure I’m living abundantly in every area.
Planning for Wellness: My Methods and Metrics
One of my key categories is wellness, and I track both physical and mental health goals to ensure I’m not just coasting through life but actively improving it.
These are a couple of examples of methods and metrics I have in my V2MOM:
Physical Well-Being
- Maintaining a healthy body fat percentage
- Averaging at least 10,000 steps per day
- Doing resistance training a set number of times per week
- (Still working on) increasing my flexibility through stretching
Mental Well-Being
- Taking at least one walk per week without looking at my phone – just enjoying the surroundings and being alone with my thoughts
- Booking and attending one session per month with a therapist or counsellor
- Writing in my journal weekly to reflect on wins, challenges, and growth
- Spending at least 30 minutes each week consuming something uplifting, whether it’s a book, a podcast, or a meaningful conversation
Creating and maintaining this plan isn’t just a task I tick off – it’s part of my self-care. It gives me confidence that I’ve got this. It forces me to pause, think about what I value, and make sure that what I’m doing aligns with those values.
My vision for my life becomes clearer because I’m constantly checking in on it and ensuring that the actions I’m taking support that vision.
Why Planning is Good for My Mental Health
For someone like me, who craves structure, planning brings a sense of calm and control. But it’s not just about controlling outcomes – it’s about building resilience and focus. When life gets overwhelming (and it does), having a plan helps me refocus on what matters most.
I’ve noticed that even when I don’t meet every goal perfectly, the act of checking in with myself regularly is good for my mental health. It’s a reminder that I’m allowed to evolve, change course, and learn along the way.
I don’t beat myself up when I fall short; instead, I adjust my methods or metrics, knowing that progress is what counts.
An Example of a Recent Adjustment
One of the goals that’s been sitting on my V2MOM for a while is improving my flexibility through regular stretching. If I’m honest, it’s been there for over two years and I haven’t been doing it.
Every time I’ve reviewed my plan, I see it sitting there – incomplete – and I ask myself:
Should I just take this off? Or do I need to find a way to prioritise it?
But I always keep it, because I know it’s still important – and becoming even more so as I get older.
During my last review, I realised the problem isn’t the goal – it’s the way I’ve been trying to approach it. I had been aiming for long, structured stretching sessions after workouts, but that just wasn’t realistic with everything else going on. I simply didn’t have the time.
So I’ve broken it down into something much smaller: a five-minute stretch before bed. It’s a tiny action, but it’s more manageable.
The point is, the goal is important to me, so by keeping it on my V2MOM I will make sure I find a way to achieve it. There have been other goals that I’ve had to remove because they were unrealistic, and that’s ok.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about keeping your values visible, checking in honestly, and finding ways to keep moving towards what’s important to you – even if the path looks different than you first imagined.
You Don’t Have to Be a “Planner” to Benefit from Planning
I know not everyone enjoys planning as much as I do, and that’s ok. You don’t need to create an elaborate spreadsheet to benefit from intentional goal-setting. Monthly check-ins might be too frequent for you – quarterly or even six monthly might work better.
What matters is that you take some time to reflect on what you want and how you’re going to achieve it. Your plan can be as simple or detailed as you like.
The key is having something to guide you and keep you accountable.
How Planning Can Lead to a Truly Rich Life
The idea of a “truly rich life” goes beyond money. For me, it’s about having abundance in health, relationships, purpose, creativity, and joy. Planning using the V2MOM framework helps me ensure that I’m not neglecting any of these areas.
By revisiting my vision and values, I avoid getting stuck in autopilot mode. Instead of mindlessly going through the motions, I’m living intentionally and making choices that reflect what I care about.
Whether it’s sticking to my well-being goals, nurturing my creativity, or fostering meaningful connections, I know I’m working towards a life that feels rich and fulfilling.
What’s Next for You?
If this resonates with you, I’d encourage you to try creating a simple V2MOM for yourself. Start with one or two categories that matter most to you.
- What’s your vision?
- What methods will help you get there?
- What obstacles might arise?
- How will you measure success?
And remember, your plan doesn’t have to be perfect – it just has to be yours.
Want to create your own V2MOM?
If you’d like to create your own V2MOM, you can find my guide A Real Plan for a Real Life in the Resources section of the site. It includes a step-by-step guide to help you work through the process, a real example of my own V2MOM, and a simple template you can use to build yours. It’s the exact tool I use to stay grounded and intentional.
And if you’d like extra support – whether that’s with creating your V2MOM or staying accountable to it – I can help with both. You’ll find more details (and a way to book a discovery chat with me) on my Services page.
Your future deserves the same care and attention as anything else you nurture. I hope you find as much joy in planning it as I have.
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