Have you ever looked back at your life and marvelled at the journey that got you to where you are today?
Probably not your normal average activity. I encourage you to do it, with a positive lens. Imagine someone wants to emulate your success, by following your path, or you are writing your autobiography, even if part way through your life.
What would you share?
What decision points?
What trials and tribulations got you to today?
I have seen it where people will write to their younger self and talk about where they are now and offer advice. I have seen people literally create a roadmap of the highs and the lows and how each inflection point has taken them closer to where they are today.
When you look back, you will see patterns and perspective. The amazing thing about hindsight hey!
Word of caution
If you do decide to take this as an action, please approach this with a curious and positive framing mind. This is not about documenting all the mistakes you have made in the past. The past is done and you cannot change it or the decisions you made. This is about getting perspective on now, and how you have arrived here in this moment and what threads have been weaved.
What about the future?
Aha, now you are in my wheelhouse.
Regardless of what emerges when, or if you do the above exercise; I am often, asked about the time it takes to design your life on purpose. Most people assume that it will take a significant amount of time. Maybe they are looking at me and others and thinking that level of commitment is needed. It is NOT!
There are lots of areas of your life that cannot and should not be neglected, while you design your life; career, social, financial, physical and community (Clifton’s 5 Elements of Wellbeing)
Work with what you have and where you are at
This means that if you have things that require consideration, often financial or social, e.g. family, then ensure they are looked after. There is no point getting in massive amounts of debt, if that is constraining your thinking, lifestyle or health.
If you are the main bread winner, do not compromise your financial stability by going hell for leather (as an aside - what is the origin of that saying?). Stop and consider what steps you could take that do not risk that, or risk a small proportion.
Is there a way you can test the idea, with little or no financial risk? Can you talk to people who are doing similar things and understand what it looks like for them financially? Can you do research that will mean you are more informed?
If you have small children or aging parents, they cannot really fend for themselves, so you will need to continue to provide that support.
This probably applies to larger children as well, I am a fully grown adult and I still need my Mum’s help with things. I would love to talk to my Dad about loads of stuff and get his perspective (miss you Dad).
You can start designing your life with as little as 1 hour a week. If you only have 1 night a week that you can dedicate to designing your life, then just use that one night a week. Even if you do not use it consistently, you will still make progress.
To help you, here are some strategies that I find useful:
Tell your family and friends that you are not available from X to Y. Treat it like a doctor’s appointment or even better a hairdresser’s appointment. Those things are not movable, unless under extreme circumstances.
Block the time in your calendar. This is particularly helpful when doing reviews and planning, monthly and quarterly.
Create some personal rules or guidelines that help you. I find that these give me the time to be able to work on my strategic life map. I have 2 main ones:
Only 2 week nights out/week (not that this has been a problem since Covid 19). One is my piano lesson, so only leaves one more
Only 1 weekend away each month or visitors here at home.
Know when you best “deep work” time is – I am a lark, so I like to get up early and get into it. I am rubbish much past 9.30pm. Research* shows that 2 hours after your cronotype (Lark, Owl and somewhere in between) is your best deep-thinking time. This deep-thinking time is perfect for working on your strategic life map, especially in planning.
*Thanks Inventium Workday Reinvention Program
Fully formed plan of the outcome, also not required.
You do not need to know exactly what the “end’ will be, you can choose exploration as an action. Some people believe, that is the end is not super clear, then they cannot start, phooey I say! Follow the energy and start exploring.
If you think that you would like to pursue something creative, then start exploring different things. Maybe you could attend an hour taster class, or watch a YouTube video. If you are thinking you would like to spend more time helping animals, try different ways to help for a couple of hours and see which one, works for you.
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working. If you are looking for inspiration, just start creating something, then it comes.”
You do not need to know the destination to start, just start and the destination will start to reveal itself.
IF everything is not ok?
However, if everything in your world is imploding. Then it is so completely OK, in fact required, for you to deal with what is in front of you, one step at a time. It is OK for you to just be.
Concentrate on what you need to do right now to be OK. Designing can wait. You have not abandoned it and failed, you have paused it and are honouring your situation.
If it helps, the process I use to create your strategic life map, means that it is super easy to remember and progress, when you are ready.
So, what does this mean for you?
When is the best time to design your life? 20 years ago
When is the 2nd best time to design your life? Now
I want you to do the thing you have been avoiding, thinking it was not right or odd. It is doable. Ignore the naysayers and go do your thing.
I will be the cheerleader for your quirkiness.
You can get started with just a little bit of time each week. Even 1 hour a week will get you started. At the very least you will understand if this is for you or not.
Yours Collaboratively
Christina MM
READY TO SIGN UP for Design your Life on Purpose (DYLOP) program
DYLOP is designed to guide professionals who have deferred their dreams, to unearth possibilities and design their strategic life map answering the question - now what?
“We all need this. Don't waste time being aimless”
Julianna Canale - Executive Manager, Westpac
“It was my time and I was giving myself permission to invest in me”
Deb C - Connexia Change Management Practice Director
“Do it. Even if they sort of know their path its' such a great exercise and it triggers your brain. Even more so for someone that is a bit lost - Everyone can do it.”
Frida Eriksson-Moussa
Bring a friend
Everything is better with friends, so if you bring a friend along then you both get a bonus one on one coaching session. Each person will work on their own Strategic Life Map and they can choose to share or not. The session is all about you and what you need and is strictly confidential. Giving you all my focus and attention to help accelerate your dreams.
READY TO GO!
If you are ready to create a Strategic Life Map that suits YOU personally.
Is this the year that you start designing a life that suits you perfectly?
Yes, then lock the Saturday the 6th November in your calendar and register right now. I would love to see you there and see what amazing things you can achieve in the next 12 months.
All the information is here, including the magical registration button.
Incahoots exists…
To guide professionals who have deferred their dreams, to unearth possibilities to design a strategic life map that answers the question - now what?
About this Christina Morgan-Meldrum (CMM) person
I am coach, facilitator, author, change professional and creative. I particularly love helping people and organisations unearth what’s possible to design a future that suits them perfectly (a Strategic Lifemap).
I have cultivated the ability to walk into any industry; see what is not seen, distil what is complicated, and simplify the chaos. This skill has been forged in a deliberate and concentrated way for over 20 years, through Personal Coaching and working in Organisational Change Management. Bottom Line is… I know CHANGE. I know how to plan for change, how to start change, how to adjust change in progress, how to track change and how to embed change.
I fill my time on various side hustles, blogging, creating and learning the piano. If you are looking for me, look for me at my spiritual home JB Hi-Fi, exploring stationery stores or artisan markets.