We all have our secret dreams, quiet desires, locked away somewhere inside us. Maybe they seem far-fetched or so outlandish that we are afraid to voice them, for fear that someone else – or we ourselves – will laugh at them or discredit us in someway.
But the dream is still there, acknowledged or not. Pining, knocking around inside of us, wanting to be let out into the world.
Blast off into the future – take a quick ride in a time machine out 5, 10, 20, 30 years – where your dream is realized. You’ve done it. It’s happened. Take a look around at what’s going on around you in this future place and time.
In this future, what’s different – in yourself, in the world? Where are you? What are you doing? Who else is there? What’s accessible to you that seems out of reach today? (Feel free to hang out here for a while – it might be a place to revisit!)
Fly on back to the present. How can this vision of the future – and you in it – inform you today? What’s possible in connecting to the future you desire?
How is your vision already present in who you are and what you are doing today?
I’d love to hear about what comes up for you!
Before specializing as a professional coach in 2004, I spent more than a decade in leadership, management and program development for state and local government and non-profit organizations. Now I get to help leaders and teams have more clarity and ability to stand up for what's important in their work and in their organizations. Working with me, leaders and teams find more meaning and purpose, feel happier and more confident, navigate change and conflict, and work together better.
Looking around at what’s there in 5 years shows me spending more time with my friends in places from where I am, enjoying trips with my wife, and doing speaking engagements and coaching clinics with those who thrive on learning new things and leading their people and themselves.
Excellent exercise!
Second half: How do I manifest this today? I connect with my friends, nay, my mentors, by their blogs, via e-mail, and by the occasional phone call or Skype conversation. And I LOVE IT! It’s the next best thing to being there.
I like using this exercise to look at the kind of person I am once I have accomplished my dreams and goals. Getting a look, not into the achievement itself, but at the kind of person who achieved it, can tell you who you would have to become to do just that.
Phil: What I love about your comment is that it’s clear that you are living your vision today, as well as constantly being inspired towards greater fulfillment of that vision!
Scott: Welcome, and thank you also for commenting! Great noticing that this exercise, as you say yourself, is not just about the vision of the “doing” of the goal or accomplishment itself, but also the “being”: who we will have to be or become as part of the process of the doing or accomplishing. This vision of the future can tell us a lot about what future we want to be pulling ourselves towards, and the actions we want to be taking, as well as give clarity around the “being” choices we want to make day to day.
OOps! Sorry late in commenting but just stumbled onto your blog.
Interesting blog- will be back
Robyne