Strange as it may seem, determining where we presently are in our life can be more of a challenge than we may at first think. For starters, in today's hectic pace, many people simply don't feel they have the time to make such a determination. While it may sound like a good idea, it's a little like the old saying, "It's hard to remember your plan was to drain the swamp when you're up to your tail in alligators." So, while many of us can end up devoting more time to planning our next vacation than planning our life, it's important to reserve some quality time to 'work on our life' rather than just get caught up in the hectic pace of 'doing, doing, doing.' In investing this time it's beneficial to first acknowledge the progress and accomplishments that you've made up to this point. So often, we can get caught up in always looking out in front of us, or thinking about what's missing or not working in our lives, and miss a true sense of what we've accomplished. However, taking an inventory of what we're grateful to have accomplished -- who we are, what we've done with our life, and what we have -- is a powerful foundation upon which to build 'what's next.' While it's possible to simply sit down and write out your current reality, I've found for many people it's quite helpful to have some tools that will help us with the process; tools such as the Life On Purpose Process, Living On Purpose Scale, and the Wheel of Life Exercise that we use in the JUMPSTART Your Life On Purpose TeleSeries. In this way you can make an accurate and authentic determination where you are in your life, which sets the stage for what's next for you, which I like to call the Visionary Reality of a Life On Purpose, which we'll explore in our next installment of this series. In the meantime, consider these questions: 1) Who have you evolved into being? List your positive attributes as well as the ones you'd like to work on in the future. 2) What are your major accomplishments in life? Make as thorough a list as possible. What have you done in your life that you're not proud of? If you haven't already done so, forgive yourself and look to see if there's anyone you need to be in touch with to ask forgiveness or in some other way make amends. 3) What have you acquired in your life that you're satisfied with and that enhances your life? What else have you acquired that no longer contributes to your life and that you are now ready to release? Care to share your insights? Go to the Living and Working on Purpose Blog and let's explore these questions together: http://lifeonpurpose.typepad.com/life_on_purpose_weblog/2005/11/living_in_the_g_1.html 2005 Brad Swift of Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included. |
