At the start of 2017, I took a secondment to Broome, Western Australia. I left my role, family and home for 6 weeks and the experience was life-changing.
I made new friends and experienced a completely different way of living and working. Being unconstrained by my familiar existence, I was able to articulate a bold life vision for myself that had previously been unimaginable and filled me with delight and excitement.
This trip changed that. The seed of becoming a coach was planted and three years on, that seed has become my reality. And I can say that I truly live a life I love every day.
But the truth is, I’d been working on trying to articulate my life vision for a while. But everything I came up with felt I rehashed version of what I’d always thought I’d wanted and it’d leave me uninspired.
So why am I sharing this?
Because defining the life you want can be hard and I want to help make it easier for you because having clarity on your life vision will change your life.
Why knowing your life vision is important
I, along with practically every other coach or trainer, always tell our clients to know their reason why.
We emphasise how important having a clear big picture or life vision is, because it’s crucial to setting and achieving fulfilling goals in your life.
A life vision is the future you desire.
It is based on what is most meaningful to you and aligns with your values. It is not about specific goals instead, it provides a clear direction for you to create a life you love.
Having this direction allows you to align all your actions, decisions and goals with your dream life.
Ways to create your vision for your dream life
Sad to say but finding your Why isn’t always a quick process. It often takes pondering and reflection. But starting the process of considering the life you want is the most important step.
Here are some practical ways to get you started.
1. Write a plan for a remarkable life
This visioning exercise is taken from Debbie Millman, who suggests you visualise a specific day ten years in the future and describe in detail what your life is like. All you need is a pen and paper and about 45mins alone, to think and write without distraction. For full details on how to do it check this out.
Once you’ve done the exercise may it a regular practice to read over it. I recommend quarterly, but annual at a minimum.
2. Create a vision board
Now, this could be a physical pinboard or a scrapbook with cutouts and drawings or it could be digital, such as a Pinterest board. Regardless of how you choose to do it, the intent is to collect and curate a visual representation of your dream life.
When you’re doing it thing about all areas of your life including career, relationships, family & friends, health, finances and spirituality.
If you’ve gone with a physical version, put it somewhere you will see it daily. Or make a point to visualising it digitally at least once a week.
3. Write your own eulogy
This process requires you to look back on your own life and articulate what it is you want to be remembered for.
To do this find some space and allow yourself time to visualise your own funeral. Imagine who would be there and how they are acting. Visualise where it would be held and how you look in your coffin. Take some time and sit with this and allow your emotions to flow.
Next, consider who of the people there would give your eulogy. (It may be one person or several). Then consider what would they say. What would you be remembered for? What accomplishments would be shared? And how would they remember you? Write it all down.
Finally, look over the eulogy and write down the central themes. Then consider how you could achieve these in your life now and in the future.
Translating your life vision into a life you love
Once you have your vision for a life you love, it’s time to get into action and start living a life that is truly aligned with that vision.
It might include making small changes that bring you closer to that dream life. Or it may be that you rigorously set and pursue goals that are truly aligned with the life you want to live.
The key is to get into action, starting right now. Because nothing changes if nothing changes.
I help professional women get clarity on their dreams and give them the confidence and strategies to unashamedly make them a reality.
If you’d like to know if coaching is for you then let’s chat.