Sometimes structured review and reflection helps. If you are in one of those “spaces” for some reason, here’s an exercise to try. You just need paper and pen and some down time.
This is what I call SELF ANCHORING. You can see the exercise and many other questions for reflection in my book: RELEASE FROM POWERLESSNESS: TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE.
First, think about where you were 10 years ago. It’s 2005….answer these questions:
-Where were you living? That’s just to get you started!
-What was your personal life like? Married? Divorced? In or out of a partnership?
-What was the quality of your personal life like? Were you satisfied? Dissatisfied? Hoping for a change?
-What was your work/professional (perhaps school) life like? Did you enjoy what you were doing or wishing you could stay home in bed?!
-What values/beliefs gave direction/guidance to your life? Fueled your decisions. Were there any “burning issues” in your life? Things that caused you to join an organization, form a committee, donate money, participate in a demonstration?
-What was your physical life/health like? Were you in good shape? In good health? Hoping to feel and/or look better? Having babies? Recovering from illness?Confronting a health crisis?
-What was your spiritual life or religious life like? Active? Inactive? Indifferent?
-Finally, how powerful or powerless did you feel? Were you able to make a difference, make an impact, influence others when you needed to? Or did you feel you were not “in charge?”
After you answer these, and they do take some time. Come forward to today and answer them NOW. Examine how much has CHANGED in a decade. And reflect on patterns, and your feelings about changes.
Now, project yourself FORWARD. What would you most like to be able to say to yourself about your life, 10 years from now? Write what pops into your head. Then reflect and add any thoughts.
And finally…. I KNOW THIS GETS HARD… make a list of the things you need to do to get to that 10 year goal…
IF you aren’t tired of reflection, or if you want an idea for later, review your life in either 10 or 7 year cycles — from birth to the present. Look for patterns. There will be those you want to hold onto and those you will want to change. The point is self examination. It works! Try it. And get in touch if you have questions.