Don’t you love traveling somewhere new.
One of the first things I do is get a map because it gives me a sense for where I’m at and how I can get around.
A few weeks ago, I went to Tokyo and met a close friend of mine there.
She did such a kind thing. The first night she gave me this visual map of the city. At that point, I only knew I was in Shinjuku and not much else.
As the trip progressed, the map began to fill with visual markers of where I’d been and my savviness with the areas of the city grew. It increased my familiarity and comfort level with Tokyo and made it easy to know where I’d like to go back to.
Your life is a lot like a map isn’t it.
You move from phase to phase in a wide open space.
However, at times, those visual markers may be missing and you’re not clear on your ultimate destination. It can feel confusing and make you anxious because there’s this space and no clarity as to where you’re moving.
Yet, my experience with Tokyo is no different. Once I looked at the map and saw where I wanted to go, I was easily moving forward and making things happen.
The simple truth of knowing where you want to go in this phase of your life is you’ve got map it out.
You can take into consideration these steps.
5 Steps to Create What You Want in this Life Phase
1. Step Back and Take Stock
Once you’ve stopped, you can get some space to view the real situation (almost like watching a movie). As if you could see yourself moving through the last few years of your life. Then, zoom into where you are now and check what you see.
What’s working? not working? What’s missing? How are you feeling most of the time? What in your physical appearance tells the story?
2. Decide How You Want to Feel
Now’s the time for opposite thinking. Rather than conjure up some grand idea of what you want, ask yourself how you want to feel. Do you desire more happiness, satisfaction, contentment, joy? What is the feeling that you’re missing now that you want to create in your life? This seems simple yet it’s an easy thing to forget to ask yourself so please pay attention.
3. Create Your Bigger Picture
With the wisdom of how you want to feel, start to map out this phase of your life and beyond if you like. It could be like pulling out a blank piece of paper, plotting where you’re at, and drawing a picture of what you’d love to experience in your life.
What’s a fit for this phase in your life? Do you want to be sharing more with others, taking care of your health, leading in a compassionate way, enjoying what comes your way? What is it for you? And, what would you see in your life if that were a reality.
4. Accept Your Picture is a Work-in-Progress
The mere creating of a picture is a huge step, Now, you’ve got something to move toward vs. before moving around with no clear destination (perhaps being drawn back over and over to your worst case scenario).
It’s essential to accept that this will not be perfect. The value is in that it’s a guideline and it’s flexible. Yeah. You may find that you want to change course. Now, you’ll be clear on why and have a process for plotting out a new location for this phase in your life.
5. Take Action
All of this is great to do and the benefit hinges on taking simple actions. Doing something. Moving yourself forward. It doesn’t have to be logical and have a complex action plan behind it. A step could be listening to an inspiring song every morning before you go to work, drawing for 5 minutes, calling a close friend to share.
Make these actions doable and meaningful.
If you feel persistently stressed, anxious, or frustrated, this is a good time to walk through these steps. Or, maybe you’re noticing something in your physical health isn’t going well (and dental health for that matter!). You may also be swinging from highs to lows – super excited by new projects and work opportunities and then down due to overwhelm or a feeling of loneliness.
You can create a a place you’re proud to be at in this phase of your life. These are a few steps to help you get there so you feel clear and at ease with where you’re going. And, you’ll know for yourself when’s the right time and if you need more help from a mentor, a friend, or a coach.
I sincerely ask you to honestly check your satisfaction with where you are now in your current life phase. And, if you’re up for it, share with me one thing you want to do about it.
I’m here to help. Don’t worry.
Warmly ,
Jennifer
