Create a New Vision for Your Future
In the process of reinventing yourself, your identity can catapult you forward or hold you back. Several weeks ago, my identity was a new author, an emerging motivational speaker, and a corporate trainer. Then the stay-at-home order was announced. My book signings were cancelled and training events evaporated. Over-night, like so many of you reading this article, my career and livelihood dramatically changed.
I was at a Cross Road. An external event changed the trajectory of my career. I could have spent a lot of times feeling bad about my losses. But I knew that would not get me where I needed to go. I consciously released my previous identity and asked, what do I want to become? The answer to that question allowed creative solutions to flow.
I acknowledge that letting go of the past can be incredibly difficult. One of my clients during the Great Recession was a mortgage broker. His career was decimated as the financial crisis unfolded. I offered him a number of suggestions regarding new career options, but he would not let go of his familiar past. Eventually he lost his home and his marriage. This sad outcome could have been different if he was willing to create a new vision in the midst of a crisis.
There are a number of ways you can create a new vision for your future:
- Take a long walk and ask yourself what you want in your life. If you don’t have a specific career direction yet, focus on the overall quality of your life. Let your creative mind work.
- Have a conversation with someone you trust. Start by discussing who you have been. What is your identity from the past? Then, shift to describing who you want to become. Co-creating your vision can be exciting!
- Create a vision board. This is a great stay-at-home project. Get some poster board and magazines. Cut out pictures that reflect your vision for your future. Pay attention to the energy of the images, the colors and symbols. When you are done, hang your vision board in a location you see every day.
Identity development occurs throughout the course of your lifetime. Growing into the next version of yourself is often prompted by an external, unexpected event. If you accept the change and consciously create the “new you”, you are much less likely to stagnate or make bad decisions. You will emerge strong and aligned with your natural talents; exactly what you want and deserve.
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