Building Your Life Blueprint: Strategic Life Planning Lessons from Sun Tzu, Benjamin Franklin & Marcus Aurelius
- personal995
- Apr 8
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 15
In an age where we're overwhelmed by options, how do we ensure that we’re not just busy, but actively and strategically planning our life? Throughout history, the most fulfilled lives weren’t left to chance, they were shaped by deliberate, principle-driven decisions grounded in self-awareness and discipline.
By drawing timeless wisdom from Sun Tzu’s strategic mind, Benjamin Franklin’s practical habits, and Marcus Aurelius’s reflective clarity, you can design a life blueprint that aligns your values with an action plan.
What's in this article?
Introducing Sun Tzu, Benjamin Franklin and Marcus Aurelius
Sun Tzu, the Chinese general and strategist, meticulously planned his battlefield tactics in "The Art of War," with understanding that every move must serve a greater strategy.
In modern life, we too often act first and think later. By taking time to pause and plan, we can avoid the chaos of knee-jerk reactions and instead make calculated, effective decisions.
Benjamin Franklin, the American statesman and polymath, balanced innovation with practicality, structuring his day to maximize every opportunity.
Adopting Franklin's approach to daily planning can help you maximize productivity and ensure you’re always moving forward.
Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor and philosopher, made the most of his quiet moments for reflection and turned personal challenges into a roadmap for inner fortitude.
Resilience isn’t about resisting change—it’s about adapting to it. Cultivating a mindset that thrives in uncertainty is the key to long-term success.
Sun Tzu: Mastering Big Picture Strategic Planning
Envision Sun Tzu, surveying the battlefield, teaching that victory belongs to those who plan meticulously and act decisively.
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu reveals that success is rarely a product of chance—it is the outcome of foresight, preparation, and clarity of purpose. Every movement, every decision, must serve the greater strategy. To him, the wise do not rush into action blindly; they pause, observe, calculate, and position themselves to win before the first move is even made.
Applied to life, Sun Tzu’s wisdom reminds us that thoughtful planning—paired with precise execution—can transform chaos into order and uncertainty into opportunity. By stepping back to consider the terrain of our lives, we gain the perspective to act not react, to lead rather than be led.
In estimates done in court before battle, the winner is the one who scores many points. In estimates in court before battle, the loser is the one who scores few points. With many points you win, with few points you lose, not to mention having no points at all. Sun Tzu (The Art of War, Chapter 1)
This passage underscores the central idea that success is determined long before action takes place—through deliberate planning, understanding, and anticipation.
So the Master said, Know your enemy and know yourself, and fight a hundred battles without danger. Know yourself but not your enemy, and win one battle but lose another. Know neither your enemy nor yourself, and there is sure to be danger in every battle. Sun Tzu (The Art of War, Chapter 3)
Here Sun Tzu talks to understanding of your own abilities, but also awareness of the world around you - your goals, risks, and the people or forces that might affect your journey. When you know both, you're in a much stronger position to navigate life effectively.
Benjamin Franklin: Strategic Planning Daily Actions
Benjamin Franklin’s life was built on the foundation of purposeful habits and strategic planning. With his disciplined daily routine, Franklin transformed ordinary tasks into powerful tools for personal and professional growth.
Franklin’s genius was in breaking down big goals into practical, manageable steps. Whether building a business, inventing, or shaping public policy, he maintained a clear sense of direction and reviewed his progress each day. This methodical approach allowed him to stay aligned with his values and long-term goals. He devised a system of 13 virtues and used a daily schedule and a daily chart to stay on track.
1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness. Drink not to elevation. 2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation. 3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time. 4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve. 5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. 6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions. 7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; if you speak, speak accordingly. 8. Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. 10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation. 11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles or at accidents common or unavoidable. 12. Chastity: rarely use venery but for health or offspring - never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation. 13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates. Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard's Almanack)
Benjamin Franklin's daily checklist and schedule
Marcus Aurelius: Strategic Planning for In-built Adaptability
Picture Marcus Aurelius in the quiet of his private chambers, reflecting on the chaos of his daily life as Emperor of Rome. In his Meditations, he speaks to the power of inner strength and adaptability, reminding himself daily that while external events are beyond his control, his response to them is not. He saw life as a series of challenges, each requiring a strategic, mindful approach. Rather than rigidly clinging to plans, he practiced the art of flexibility—adjusting his responses to the changing tides of fortune. His daily meditations were less about grand, lofty ideals and more about nurturing an adaptable mind capable of seeing obstacles as opportunities for growth. In this way, he built a resilience that allowed him to remain steadfast in the face of adversity. For Marcus, true leadership wasn’t about controlling everything around him, but about cultivating the calm and clarity to navigate whatever came his way with purpose.
The sovereign power within, in its natural state, so confronts what comes to pass as always to adapt itself readily to what is feasible and is presented to it. This is because it puts its affection upon no material of its own choice; rather it sets itself upon its objects with a reservation, and then makes the opposition which encounters it into material for itself. It is like a fire, when it masters what falls into it, whereby a little taper would have been put out, but a bright fire very quickly appropriates and devours what is heaped upon it, and leaps up higher out of those very obstacles. Marcus Aurelius (Meditations Book 4, Passage 1)
In this passage Aurelius conveys the idea of an individual that remains adaptable, non-attached, and resilient, using challenges to strengthen and grow rather than being defeated by them.
Actionable Steps to Use Strategic Planning to Craft Your Life's Blueprint
Action 1: Define Your Objectives
Start by outlining your core values and long-term goals. Just as Sun Tzu planned his campaigns with clear objectives, clarifying your vision will provide direction in every decision you make.
Define your objectives by asking yourself: What kind of life do I want to be remembered for? What values do I want to uphold each day? Break these into SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Useful Members link: Direction
Action 2: Structure Your Day Like a Master Planner
Emulate Benjamin Franklin by organizing your day into distinct blocks—time for reflection, focused work, and creative pursuits. This systematic approach helps you seize opportunities and maintain momentum.
Structure your day like Benjamin Franklin by using a time-blocking method—schedule specific hours for work, reflection, and rest. Consider using a simple app or a physical planner to track your time and stay accountable.
Useful Members link: Action Plan
Action 3: Reflect and Adjust
Dedicate a few minutes each day to self-reflection, much like Marcus Aurelius did. Evaluate what worked, what didn’t, and refine your approach accordingly. This continuous improvement is the cornerstone of strategic success.
Reflect daily by asking yourself: What went well today? What could I have done better? What lessons can I apply tomorrow? Set aside 10-15 minutes each evening to review your day and adjust your approach for the next one. Use a journal or an app to track your reflections and improvements.
Useful Members link: The Workbook
To Summarise
By merging the timeless strategies of Sun Tzu, Benjamin Franklin, and Marcus Aurelius, you have the tools to strategic planning to build a life blueprint that transforms uncertainty into the confidence to take action.
What would your life look like if you build this understanding and competence to apply it to your own life?
"It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end."
Leonardo da Vinci (One of his notebooks)
Member's Related Links & Readings:
Next Steps Guides:
Values (Direction)
Goals (Direction)
Action Plan (Direction)
Focus (Potential)
Strength (Potential)
Planning (Create & Build)
Execution (Create & Build)
Astuteness (Autonomy)
The Art of War by Sun Tzu (Book Review: Library: Strategy)
Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin (Book Review: Library: Decision Making)
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (Book Review: Library: Philosophy)
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All the best. Take care of yourself and each other.
