8 Solid Reasons Why You Need to Plan Generationally

“The reason why people do not make big plans is because they believe that they have to pay for it”

—Dr. Myles Munroe

The Bible is emphatic: A good man leaves and inheritance to his children and their children…so we are talking about planning for at least two generations after you. That is how you know you are a “good man”. Have you ever seriously thought about that? Imagine this: that you do not have the hustles of putting food on the table because your grandfather had that sorted out. What a refreshing idea.

Now, there are two types of people reading this: There are those who will be gleeful that all they have to do now that grandpa has all things sorted is coast through life with ease. And then there is another group who will be literally overwhelmed with the massive responsibility that grandpa has placed on their shoulders. They now realize that what grandpa did, they must do. They must leave the same legacy for their own grand kids. And on and on the cycle continues. It sounds such a grand plan, doesn’t it?

Breaking it Down

Obviously, it will take approximately 100 years for the third generation to have been old enough in order to get the inheritance.

The Bible is also clear that if a child is still a child, he cannot be able to inherit anything. That is why in my calculation, the first generation (you) would probably get a child at the ripe age of 35. It will take this child 25 years to be astute and an adult that can be entrusted fully with an estate.

By that time, you will be 60 years of age. It will take the 25 year old another 10 years to sire offspring *approximately. By that time, you will be 70 years of age. Then, it will take another 25 years for this offspring to be astute enough in order to handle an inheritance. By that time, you will be 95 years of age. So that is why it is safe to plan for 100.

1. You are planning for a lifetime
2. Your plan must be passed down to each generation
3. Therefore, you are planning with each generation in 35 year periods.
4. This makes the plan simpler to come by
5. You are planning for greatness not for selfishness
6. You are focusing on making a difference in the world, and not just living or existing.

God told David that there will not lack a King from his house on his throne, a promise that has been fulfilled throughout eternity.

God also told Abraham that “through you I will bless all the nations” and today, all blessings we get are from father Abraham. That is all of us, both Jews and Gentiles. So that tells me that a generational plan is actually sanctioned by God. He wants us to think and plan generationally.

 Why 100 year plan

But why would God in His majesty ask of us to do this? It really does sound like a serious mountain to climb fending for yourself, your kids and their kids after them. People who think that kids who have everything provided for them are spoilt are wrong for one reason: a kid who has all catered for now and has caught the 100 year vision is now released to exercise their mind, focus on their talents and God-given purpose in order to bring out the very best. I believe the following five reasons are critical for us to create 100 year personal plans.

1. It teaches us Purpose:

The easiest way to understand purpose, especially purpose of a human being is to help people think more of others than themselves. A long term vision that supersedes your own life is the perfect exercise on purpose. If you do this plan, it will force you to think of more altruistic things in life than houses, cell phones and curtains.

2. It teaches Passion:

A grand vision will never be delivered by a lackadaisical attitude and approach to life. In fact, the greater the vision, the greater the passion and focus to bring it to fruition. A man without a vision is destined to die with his potential locked inside of him. A man with any vision is alive and active. A man with a 100 year vision however has this massive weight upon them but is fueled by passion to make it come to pass.

3. It teaches Transition:

Perhaps one of the greatest missteps we have in parenting these days is in terms of We have heard stories of great men who passed away and left massive business empires, only for those empires to collapse under the jurisdiction of the next generation. If you have a generational vision, you will get focused on training and equipping those who are coming after you to look after this vision. There will be a transfer of values, spirit, grit and vision from one generation to another, ostensibly to keep the vision going. In the Bible days, people used to crave for this “transition moments”. This is where the patriarch would “bless” his kids. Almost always to 100% precision, the words that they would speak would be self-fulfilling prophecy.

4. It teaches Legacy:

A generational plan will obviously teach you to focus on others. A small vision teaches you on how to focus on yourself. A big vision teaches you to focus on your family. A huge generational vision teaches you how to focus on humanity. The reason why people do not think of others or making an impact and leaving a legacy is because they have small visions.

5. It teaches selflessness:

We live in a “me-world”. Many people are focused on how they can amass things for themselves. Their first thought is them…not others. It shows that the world has not really grown. My estimation of a mature world is that whose inhabitants inherently care about others as a matter of priority.

Well, when you look at your life more than 100 years from today, you will find it easy to focus on other people and not just yourself.

6. It teaches big thinking:

One of my mentors said this one day: “The reason why many people get lost in their thinking is because it is unfamiliar territory”. Thinking is work. In fact, in business, thinking is big business. There is thinking and then there is “big thinking”. Of course one of the easiest ways to think big is to look at a long term goal or vision.

7. It invites Divine Participation:

Of course there is no way you can know the ins and outs of today, let alone tomorrow. And now that we are talking of 100 years plus from today, there is no way you can predict what will happen. That alone is massive enough to need help. Secondly, the enormity of that vision makes you seek Divine help. And my friend, that is the very reason as to why we were created. To download massive visions from the Divine and participate with the Divine in bringing them to fruition.

Thinking big will for the most part teach you to lean on your dreams but to need the support of the Divine. I am going to build Life Signatures Universities all over Africa for example. I do not even have a kindergarten to start with. I need all the help that I can get. I read a quote by Woodrow Wilson that said, “I not only use all the brains I have but all the brains I can borrow”. And then we do need the Divine participation. When you need God, then you know you have dreamt big!

8. Helps you be Innovative:

A good visionary asks very many questions. In fact, very many innovators were visionaries. They have the power to see way ahead and anticipate the changes that might be taking place technologically, politically, socially and legally. They therefore take time to make the right moves way ahead of time. I have already predicted that the next biggest revolution in the world will not be technological, but it will be to do with purpose.