Are you looking for more meaning and purpose in your life, or are you just going through the motions in your daily lives? 2012 is here, are you willing to go through the transformational journey to discover your greater purpose? Now is the perfect time to start the process of thinking about the kind of future you want to create for yourself.
“People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.” Thomas Szasz
Ringing in the New Year is an extremely powerful time in my life. It is the time of year when my wife Kristen and I take the time to review our successes and failures, to take in the lessons learned and then apply them to our updated life design.
I started the process of brainstorming and visualizing personal goals and objectives on large pieces of paper in my teens. Developing this type of historical visual collection of my life has become an important tool to support an understanding about how my time and energy is spent as I work towards what I want to create in my life.
“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious effort.” Henry David Thoreau
Here is how it works – Either by yourself or with your significant other/friend, find a couple of big pieces of paper – a paper grocery bag can work well. You may want to tape some paper together to make the surface bigger. Kristen and I use a 4’ x 14’ piece of paper when we go through this process.
Step One – In the center of the paper write/draw “Creating My Life, My Way, Today!” If you are working with another person, have them do the same on a separate piece of paper.
Step Two – Randomly write words or draw pictures that categorize the activities and relationships in your life. Make sure to allow plenty of space so you can add additional details around each of your categories. Here are some examples of categories that I like to use:
- Family/Friends
- Career/Business
- Health/Physical
- Finance
- Home Environment
- Community
- Fun/Recreation
- Personal Growth
Step Three – After you have developed your categories, focus your energy and attention on each category, one at a time. Write down your ideal goals and outcomes for that category in the coming year. Take your time, writing as many aspirations as you can think of. The key is not to over think your idea. Usually the first thoughts that come to mind as you think about what you want to create in your life. Use the same process for the remaining categories.
Step Four – Compare your Life Creating Visual with your significant other or good friend. Have each person share his or her entire visual one at a time. Next, start looking for the areas where you can support one another in achieving each other’s goals for the coming year. Make sure to talk about the challenges and success factors to achieving the goals and outcomes. Stay realistic, setting yourself up for success instead of failure.
Step Five – When you have completed your Life Creating Visual, post it in a place where you can see it every day: the wall into the bathroom, your bedroom mirror; anywhere you visit and spend time thinking. Just post it!
Many of you are likely thinking, “This is going to be a lot of hard work and take up a bunch of my time.” I feel the same way at times and I just don’t want to go through the hassle to do this kind of personal growth work. Guess what? I still do it, and then after all is said and done, I wonder why I even hesitated at all. Getting over the hump to create the life you want takes effort. In the end nothing could be greater than living the life you create each and every day.
“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” Carl Sandburg
Time is running out! How are you going to create the kind of future you want for yourself?
I wish you all a Very Happy and Prosperous Year in 2012. Remember that the only boxes that exist are the ones that you create for yourself.