Design your own Protocol (Part 1/3)

The journey towards a healthy aging protocol is also a journey towards self-discovery and self-determination. Living with purpose and self-determination is grounding, yet not enough of us ask the questions:

·?????? What do we want our future life to look like?

·?????? How do we want to age?

As more of the population is living longer it will be more urgent to ask ourselves and answer these questions. A healthy aging protocol is a protocol which articulates one’s plan for their desired life and healthy aging. Health is one of our most important assets and increasingly so as the years go by. It is the enabler of our life and our dreams. The Project Nof1 interview series of healthy aging protocols showcases many different protocol styles, some include dance, some include meditation, some include time with nature. But ultimately what they all include is the vision of each person’s vision for their "life well lived".

Part of being in the Protocol Club is having a protocol, and this is the first of a three-part series that unpacks how to go about devising one. It is broken down into the following:

Part 1: Is about self-reflection on the future lives we want to live (Self-Futurecasting) and then ?Backcasting to determine the steps to achieve that desired life in the future.

Part 2: is all about data. Understanding what kinds of data would be needed to track progress.

Part 3: is about applying the protocol into a schedule that blends into our individual life.

In this sense, the "Protocol Design" is a process where you meet your future self while having a conversation with your present self. The goal of this conversation is to articulate what your healthy aging protocol, goals and strategy is. Employing futurecasting techniques, the following questions create the self-reflective space for this conversation with your present and future self:

Futurecasting (the practice of envisioning and considering possible futures.)

1.?????? Imagine your future, what would you like your future to look like? What do you see yourself doing in the far future? What is your vision for your life well lived? What does that mean to you and what does that look like to you?

2.?????? What do you see yourself doing in your 90s? 80s? 70s? 60s? My 90 year old self.....

3.?????? What you see yourself doing and what you want to be doing can be two different things. Give yourself permission to dream and imagine. What do you want to be doing?

4.?????? As you imagine your future and the future life you desire to have, who is the person you wish to be and become? What is that version of you like? Describe them and their life.

5.?????? What do you know you don’t want to be doing in your future? What do you know with all your heart that you don’t want for yourself, for your life or for you to become? ie: loss of mobility..

6.?????? Conduct an inventory of what you have in your life that is already part of your desired protocol.

Backcasting (is a planning method that starts with defining a desirable future and then works backwards to identify actions to connect the future to the present.)

7.?????? ?What are the first things that come to mind that you need to do today to meet that future vision? What are the things that you want to start working on today to meet that future vision? What are the things you are excited to start working on today to meet that future vision?

?When thinking of the answers to these questions it is good to keep the following Oprah Winfrey quote in mind:

“Create the highest grandest vision possible for your life because you become what you believe.” - Oprah Winfrey

Ultimately, a healthy aging protocol is the expression of our values, hopes and dreams. It is how we choose to live our life. By extension it becomes our philosophy on how to live life.

If this kind of futures thinking inspires you, sign up for the?Protocol Club waitlist here to join the next cohort entering the community dedicated to all things Protocol with conversations inspiration and workshops to help you design and pursue your own healthy aging protocol.

The Project Nof1 interview series captures stories of different people’s healthy aging protocols. You can find them on the Project Nof1 Youtube channel, or on spotify.

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