 |
|
|
 |
||
 |
||
|
|
 |
| Return to Mind Exercises |
fast
forward 10 and look back on your achievements
This
is your future we’re talking about. When you’re procrastinating
about what to do, when you’re stuck or unsure about which
way to go in life, try this Mindercise.
Rather than thinking about what you might be doing this year,
next year, 3 years time etc, you’re going to mentally leap
10 years into the future and look back on what you’ve been
doing for the past decade!
You may well find that this 'look back' method is a more constructive
way to sort out what you really want, than merely dream wishing
for the future. Once you get into this kind of searching, you
can become quite realistic about which tasks and actions will
create the future you desire – then you need to plan them
into your daily regime.
Get into a comfortable position either sitting or lying down.
Close your eyes and bring your breathing into your conscious mind.
Get a comfortable rhythm going for a minute or so and then 'fast
forward' 10 years in your mind. If you are 25 pretend you are
35, if your are 30 be 40, if your are 52 pretend you are 62 and
so on.
Looking back over the decade you have just lived through, ask
yourself some personal questions along the lines:
- What would I like to have accomplished?
- What have I accomplished?
- What would I like to have enjoyed? What have I enjoyed?
- What would I like to have tried that's new? What have I tried that's new?
- Who would I like to have known better? Who have I got to know better?
- Who would I like to have met? Who did I meet?
- Where would I like to have been? Where did I go?
- What changes would I like to have made? What changes did I make?
- Have I wasted my last ten years? Have I used my ten years to the full?
So
now you are ten years on looking back, write down some of the
things you 'have done' in the past decade. Did you get to know
your own family better? Did you take up a new sport or hobby?
Have you been doing a different job? Have you done some voluntary
work? Have you travelled to some interesting places? Did you get
round to writing a book? What did you do that gives you a sense
of achievement?
You can return to your 'ten years looking back' notes at any time
- tick off the things that you are actually doing and add new
things as appropriate. You can even make a display sheet for your
notice board if you like. But remember to enjoy the journey of
doing the things day by day - don't be in a hurry - it's all part
of the plan. Native American Indians have a wonderful ethos for
handling the future - ‘there should
be no worry - just peace - because there is a plan, even it you
cannot see it! Wisdom is not in the searching but in the living
each day with a good heart and a good mind. Use your intuition
and give thanks, then peace will reign’.
The
fact is, if you don’t make a start now, in ten years time
you may not have involved yourself in any of the things that are
there for the taking. Nobody else is going to come knocking on
your door and say ‘today you are going to try this, or start
that, or meet so and so...’ but you can. You can knock
on your own inner door, unlock the will to change and go for it!
Rather than dreaming the impossible dream, go for realising the possible plus a little bit and see yourself doing it!