STARTING AGAIN? HOW TO WORK OUT WHAT YOU WANT WHEN THE WORLD IS YOUR ‘OYSTER’.
ARE YOU AT A CROSSROAD OF LIFE?
Sometimes lots of choice can be very overwhelming, so how can we cut through it to work out what it is we really want?
Yesterday I read a really interesting blog on Soulseeds entitled Quit. Do It Now by Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson.
It was a really interesting as well as practically useful article talking about how we can find ourselves so pushed for time as we try to achieve all our goals that eventually something has to give, and yet we find ourselves in an internal battle with feelings of failure about not being able to achieve all our goals at once.
This got me thinking about how we manage when the opposite is true. What if life and our choices have taken us back to a new square one? A beginning where we need to make a choice or choices about how we want to start again? Maybe we’ve retired, or we’ve been made redundant, or we are starting to think about returning to work after raising our family. Whatever the reason, we find ourselves in a unique place. A place where our time isn’t taken up by all the goals we are trying to achieve, but a place where we need to set those goals to give ourselves the direction and focus we need to move forwards with our lives.
From the outside people can think that this is a time of luxury and you’ll perhaps have people saying to you phrases like, ‘The world is your oyster!’ or ‘Plenty of fish in the sea!’ or ‘Do something crazy!’. People mean well, but is that what they would really do themselves in this situation or is it just what we like to think of as positive and encouraging. The truth is, that whilst these times are opportunities, they can also feel very overwhelming. These are times where we need to find courage.
Courage to be ourselves. Courage to listen to our instincts. Courage to make the first step that starts our new beginning.
In these situations I encourage my clients to try out a technique called the ‘Disney Strategy’, so called because it was apparently used by Walt Disney with his creative teams.
So what do we need?
– Three rooms and / or three pieces of paper.
– Paper / Room 1: titled Worst case scenario
– Paper / Room 2: titled Fantasy land
– Paper / Room 3: titled Reality
Each paper / room title is representative of the mind-set we must evoke.
– Worst case scenario lets indulge; what’s everything we could do and how could it all go wrong.
– Fantasy land; if anything and everything is possible (including winning the lottery) get it all out, be as dreamy and imaginative as you can be.
– Reality; now we have all the worst and the best out of us we can now pick through what is left. What can we really do and what do we really, in our heart of hearts, want. What is possible?
The key to this technique is to really immerse your-self in each mind-set, really get involved and let the best and the worst out of you. Where possible try not to limit yourself and then you will arrive at a reality that is both motivating and possible.
If you want to find out more about how to use this technique or how to turn your ‘reality’ ideas into an achievable and manageable action plan then get in touch with me at info@yourvelvetevolution.com
Lydia x
Check out more info on velvetevolution at www.yourvelvetevolution.com or follow me on twitter @velvetevolution
To find out more about the soulseeds article I referred to, check out their great website at http://www.soulseeds.com/seed-exchange/2012/02/quit-do-it-now-by-dr-heidi-grant-halvorson/