How to Create a Life Plan: A Guide for Women Feeling Stuck or Overwhelmed
- Erika Lucas
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
Updated: 13 minutes ago
A few weeks ago, a VEST member reached out to me privately. She was feeling overwhelmed—her calendar packed, inbox overflowing, and energy depleted. She said:
“I’m filling up my cup with busyness, not meaning. I think I need a deeper reset.”
She wasn’t alone. Many of us, especially in this midlife chapter, find ourselves caught between responsibility and reinvention, managing careers, caregiving, health shifts, and a growing urge to live more intentionally. We're successful by external measures, but internally, many of us are asking: Is this how I want to keep spending my time, my energy, my life?
That conversation inspired us to create a simple but powerful life planning exercise designed to help you check in, realign, and prioritize what matters most now. This isn’t about setting lofty goals or productivity hacks. It’s about stepping back, asking better questions, and giving yourself permission to shift.
If you're navigating a similar season, here’s how to start:
Step 1: Get Quiet, Get Honest
Carve out time to reflect, alone and without distraction. This is sacred space. Take a journal, a cup of tea, a walk, or whatever helps you feel grounded. Then begin asking yourself the deeper questions. Here are the categories and prompts we recommend:
Core Values & Identity
What do I value most right now and has that changed?
Who am I becoming in this season of life?
What am I no longer willing to compromise on?
Energy & Capacity
What drains me?
What energizes me?
Am I scheduling rest and joy or just squeezing them in?
Work & Purpose
Does my current work still align with who I am?
Am I growing, coasting, or craving a shift?
If I could design my work life from scratch, what would it look like?
Money & Security
What does financial peace look like at this stage?
What money stories or fears am I holding onto?
Am I aligning my spending with what truly matters?
Emotional & Mental Health
What emotions keep resurfacing?
Am I giving myself the support I offer to others?
What am I holding onto that I’m ready to release?
Relationships & Community
Who do I feel most connected to and am I making time for them?
What kinds of relationships do I want more of?
Where am I giving more than I’m receiving?
Legacy & Impact
What kind of legacy do I want to leave?
Where can I contribute meaningfully without losing myself?
How do I want to be remembered?
Visioning the Next Chapter
If nothing were off-limits, what would my life look like five years from now?
What’s one thing I’ve always wanted to do but haven’t made space for?
What does success mean to me now?
Step 2: Find the Threads
Once you’ve answered the questions, look for patterns. Are there repeated words, longings, or themes? Is there something you've outgrown but keep holding onto out of habit or fear?
Circle or highlight what stands out. These are your clues, your compass, for where to go next.
Step 3: Choose One Next Step
You don’t need a full five-year plan. You just need one meaningful next step. Maybe it’s setting a boundary, scheduling a therapy session, investing in a skill, or having a hard conversation. Start small but start.
Final Thoughts
While this exercise was inspired by a conversation with a VEST member navigating midlife, the truth is you don’t have to wait for a crisis, career change, or milestone birthday to ask yourself better questions. Reflection is powerful at any stage.
Whether you’re in your 30s, 50s, or 70s. Whether you are just starting out, rebuilding, or evolving, consider this a reminder: you are allowed to pause, reassess, and realign your life with what matters most now.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, off track, or simply ready to be more intentional, this is your invitation to invest in yourself, not just in your work or your family, but in you.
And you don’t have to do it alone. At VEST, our peer network is made up of women from all walks of life who are committed to growing together, with courage, clarity, and community.
If you're ready to take the next step, join us. You’ll find support, accountability, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from women showing up for one another. Learn more at www.VESTHer.co
Because your next chapter deserves the best of you—not what’s left of you. #VESTHer
About the Author
Erika Lucas is the Founder and CEO of StitchCrew and VEST. She is an investor and nationally recognized advocate for women, small businesses, and economic opportunity for all. Erika also hosts the VEST Her Podcast, where she talks about the hidden challenges holding women back at work, in society, and in building wealth—and highlights stories of women working to change that. Follow Erika’s on LinkedIn