Business Book Review: Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy

If there is a villain in life, it’s The Drift - arriving at a destination you don’t consciously choose. Life planning helps you proactively take the wheel. 

My Rating: ★★★★

Length: 210 pages

Publisher: Baker Books

Released: 2016

Key Takeaways for Personal Branding 

Living Forward is your guide to life planning by authors Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy. 

The business thought leaders begin life planning with their clients before discussing business and leadership development. Believing that self-leadership always precedes team leadership. 

As the authors highlight, life planning is often the essential step missed in all our usual prolific planning:  

“Most of us see the inherent wisdom of planning. We may plan for next year’s vacation, our children’s college education, or our own retirement. But for some strange reason, it never occurs to us to plan our lives.”

The solution presented in Living Forward is a Life Plan. A short (8-15 page) written document articulating how you want to be remembered, your priorities and actions in major areas of your life. It’s a living document always ready to be adjusted as your life progresses.  

As only professional life planners could do so well, Living Forward charts a step-by-step guide to developing your Life Plan. The personal stories and input from both authors add a personal touch to the book’s practical approach.

Here are my personal top takeaways:  

The Villain in the Story: The Drift

As the authors highlight the villain in the story - The Drift:

“…a metaphor for understanding how we arrive at destinations we don’t consciously choose.”

You’re encouraged to begin by acknowledging your drift. While The Drift is the villain, Life Planning is the antidote:

“Life Planning is the exact opposite of the drift. The drift is about passivity. Life Planning is about proactivity. The drift is about blaming our circumstances or other people. Life Planning is about taking responsibility. The drift is about living without a plan. Life Planning is about having a plan and working it.”

Designing a Legacy  

Like most good thought leaders in personal and professional development, the Life Plan is designed to begin with the end in mind - your legacy: 

“How do I want to be remembered? In planning anything, the best place to begin is at the end. What outcome do you want?”

Starting with the end in mind is obvious for most other activities, like planning a family holiday, for example. Yet, this can often be overlooked for more personal matters of high importance. Designing your legacy involves choosing your destination first. 

Yes, things won’t always go to plan, but: 

"One of the best questions you can ask when something negative happens is this: What does this experience make possible?”

Whether you choose to proactively design your legacy or not, you’re still creating one: 

“Truth is, everyone is in the process of creating—and leaving—a legacy. The question is not “Will you leave a legacy?” but “What kind of legacy will you leave?”

Life Accounts and Purpose Statements

The life planning process asks you to determine your ‘Life Accounts’. While you can decide whatever your personal Life Accounts are, the authors share the most common ones they’ve experienced into nine key accounts: 

The Circle of Being

As your innermost circle, this is the collection of activities focused solely on you about yourself:

• Spiritual 

• Physical 

• Intellectual

The Circle of Relating 

The second layer in the collection of activities centres around others: 

• Marital  

• Parental  

• Social

The Circle of Doing

The third layer in your collection of activities is about your output: 

• Your vocation (job)  

• Your avocation (hobbies)  

• Financial

Once you’ve determined your Life Accounts, Purpose Statements should be clearly articulated for the Why or mission underpinning each account. 

Dedicate a Day 

You’re encouraged to put all other plans on hold and give yourself a day to plan your life. While it hardly seems like enough for such an essential task, as the authors highlight: 

“One day can change everything. It’s true for nations and individuals. Think back on your own graduation, wedding, or promotion.”

“….marriage, or the death of a loved one. For better or worse, some days have more impact on the future than others.”

Leaders everywhere are drowning in daily, weekly, monthly and yearly plans or projects, strategic or master plans. So, this becomes the true test of leadership. Can you take a day to focus and potentially change the course of your life? 

Favourite Quotes 

“Each day is filled with thousands of opportunities to change the story of our lives.”

“You have to do what’s right for you. There is no point keeping up with the Joneses if they’re going someplace you don’t want to go.”

Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy: Available on Amazon.