Life project: what is it and what are its most important elements?

All people must face, at some point in life, situations that pose an adaptive challenge. Such moments can seem fragmented, separated by the interlude of everyday life.

However, a closer look shows us the invisible ties that hold them together to a broad and congruent panorama, which is the very experience of being in the world. This tacit relationship gives meaning to the personal project that each of us draws up for our own existence, as a common thread that mobilizes efforts and endows each act with a value transcendent.

In this article we will talk about what the life project is, understanding it as the flexible script that each one foresees for the time available, and that results in the congruence between what is and what is done.

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What is a life project

A life project can be defined as a fundamental plan for existence. In its preparation, a series of variables must be considered, such as needs or objectives, which may or may not coincide with the expectations that the environment placed on us. A life project is a work in permanent construction that follows a certain continuity, but adapted to the situation of each moment.

Life projects mobilize action and position it in a particular direction based on meaningful goals, integrating values ​​with legitimate personal aspirations. It stands as a process that does not adhere to a static sequence, but extends over the years and harbors a clear intention or purpose. It is a path full of satisfaction, but one that also allows the possibility of stumbling.

Why is a life project important?

A life project is essential, first of all, because is aimed at one of the most basic needs of the human being: self-realization. This process prioritizes the important over the accessory, identifying the decisions that give meaning to the way people live. This distinction is made in the context of a clear plan of action, which dilutes the ambiguity to which the general upheaval of the environment exposes us.

Life projects also contribute to the construction of identity, since a person is largely what they dedicate their time to (their acts of him). Through this analysis we can determine which actions are congruent with a deeper sense of who we are, in Instead of erratically engaging in a myriad of activities that have no connection whatsoever with our values ​​or needs.

In addition, life projects enhance the so-called intrinsic motivation, which keeps our efforts outside of external incentives (economic, social or otherwise). Since it allows us to determine which purposes are meaningful to us in the long term, it is much less We are likely to give in to boredom when obstacles arise that prevent or hinder their immediate achievement.

Finally, the life project allows us to equip ourselves with a greater self-knowledge, as its design implies a careful exploration of how and why. This search, which has an important introspective component, tends to go unnoticed by people who enlist in an overflowing cluster of actions that alienate them from themselves. Viktor frankl He labeled the discomfort that arises in this circumstance as noogenic depression, that is, emotional distress at the loss of meaning.

Then we will delve into the basic aspects on which a life project should be sustained.

What are its fundamental aspects

We propose five fundamental elements for the design of a life project, whose analysis must be elaborated in parallel: reality, needs, objectives, values ​​and application. All of them are interconnected, and should not be understood as independent realities.

1. What is my reality right now?

Although the coordinates of the life project may suggest that it is located at some point in the future, the truth is that they must be sustained in the reality of the present as it is. This reality is the foundation from which all its basic dimensions must be considered.. Otherwise, we can lose ourselves in the incompatibility between what we want to achieve and the objective framework in which we find ourselves.

One of the characteristics of life is that it is subject to incessant changes, sometimes unpredictable, so It is not logical to think that an action plan can always be applied in the same way in which it was originally conceived. The physical resources, the people who accompany us, and even what we are in our inner selves, are subject to the perennial flow in which all things sway. Change is therefore the only constant.

Our personal life project must be inextricably connected to the moment before which it unfolds, assuming nuances over time but always maintaining its essence. This purpose must be one more part of identity, and just as it varies without losing sight of who we really are, our purpose must also do so. It is flexible, but tough. Despite the swings of change, it will always make sense.

2. What are my needs?

Identifying your own needs is a difficult process, because we have often come to confuse them with what in reality are desires. Although it might seem that the difference between one and the other is just a grammatical question, failure to comply with each of them has different consequences: If a need is not satisfied we fall into despair, while if a desire is prevented the emotion will be more easily managed (annoyance, for example).

The most basic needs of the human being are the physiological ones and those that provide us with security, since both are essential for survival. From this point we can find the affiliation, through which we strengthen ties with people who allow us to find a social space for development. Finally, at the very top of the pyramid that Maslow himself conceived, stand those that are unique to our species: satisfaction and self realisation (both linked to an adequate life plan).

Detecting the needs implies recognizing what is really imperative to satisfy any of these dimensions, since otherwise it would only be a desire. The ability to discriminate between the two is key, as it avoids introducing illusory goals for our life, which take up a lot of time and do not produce satisfaction.

3. What are my goals?

An objective is a goal that we consider personally important, based on the current situation and perceived needs. It is common that the objectives are not defined in a precise way, so desirable results are projected but the actions that will facilitate its achievement (or the tools that will have to be provided) are unknown. Clearly identifying what we want to achieve is the first step to act consistently with it.

Another problem that we can find is the construction of objectives that are too large, which will require of excessive time or effort, thereby assuming a high risk of giving in in our attempt to reach them. The most effective in these cases is to break the goal down into achievable short-term steps; so that each advance brings us closer to the ultimate goal set, periodically reinforces are obtained and the feeling of self-efficacy is increased (belief that I am capable of achieving it).

4. What are my values?

Values ​​constitute the position that the person assumes on key aspects of his life, and whose weight is much higher than that which can be attributed to opinion. Values ​​are embedded in multiple areas of daily life, and are one of the most basic reasons why people assume a solid and lasting commitment. Thus, an analysis of our deepest convictions will allow us to outline a life plan that is coherent with them, which will provide a sense of congruence.

When people do something that violates their values, there is a cognitive dissonance: a difficult confrontation between what we consider correct and the way in which we act, which can lead to guilt and anguish. It is not uncommon for people who act in opposition to their values ​​to feel really bad about it, which is a sense of loss in the medium and long term.

This fact is usually due to the assumption of values ​​that are not really ours nor do we experience them as if they were, but have been imposed by third parties during our individual development. In this case, it is possible that the direction of our life meets the demands of the social environment, while ours take a painful background. It is not easy to detect this circumstance, which is often experienced as a kind of existential emptiness.

5. How can I proceed?

At the moment in which all the preceding steps are clarified, the person is in a better disposition to elaborate an adequate life plan, which must include the following fundamental characteristics: be respectful with the current state of things, meet true needs, be composed of affordable achievements and match our values. With all this, we will be willing not only to design it, but also to put it into operation.

Any life plan is made up of little things, whose cumulative effect is the one that directs him towards the great feats, which are glimpsed behind the horizon line as a resolvable promise. It is important to persist in our efforts and be flexible in the face of changes that arise, since a A project of this magnitude is subject to the evolution of the needs of each stage of the cycle vital.

Lastly, it is also important to learn to quit. Life is subject to encounters, reunions and losses; and all of it must be integrated into the pentagram on which it runs. Giving up what hurts us, or that prevents us from moving forward, can be as difficult as finding what makes us happy.