Planning for the future begins with the present. Where we are now. The more precise the starting point the more effective you will be at getting to the endpoint.
Once we know where we are, we need to get a specific concrete description of where we want to go, our future state. This is where we dream about where we want to be in life.
The plan part of planning is determining how to bridge the gap from where we are, the present, to where we want to be in the future. The plan is a map that bridges the present and the future.
There are two ways to bridge the gap.
The first is to start with the present and create a map that will take you to the future. Usually, this map gets hazier the further into the future it goes.
The second is to start with the future and determine the path back to the present. Starting with the future, what would be the step just before the future is realized. Usually, this map gets hazier the further into the past (of the future) you go.
The exercise of going in both directions becomes very powerful and the plan for addressing the gap becomes clearer and more specific.
A path needs to be tried in both directions. This process will release more creativity.