Try This Ideal Life Exercise To Gain Career Direction Clarity

Let’s face it. In life, you are either a passive spectator or a proactive designer.

Life either happens TO you….

Or YOU create the blueprints.

It’s interesting the things we CHOOSE to plan versus the things we do not.

You meticulously plan every detail of your wedding.

You plan how you will decorate your new living room.

You plan out the logistics of a trip.

You plan what’s for dinner.

But…. most of us don’t take the time to design a LIFE plan.

Herein lies the problem.

You need to know what the target LOOKS like in order to AIM in that direction.

How the heck are you going to end up living the life of your dreams… when you don’t even know what that life looks life?

Now, let me put a career coaching spin on this.

Your career should be a BRIDGE to the LIFE you want to live.

If you want to design a life where you feel serenity & at peace…. Which career will move you closer to this ideal life?

If you want to design a life where you spend most of your time with your family…..Which career path will move you closer to this ideal life?

If you want to design a life where at the age of 60 you own a Bed & Breakfast in a small town…. Which career path will move you closer to this ideal life?

You get the picture.

Every career path you are currently considering...will either move you CLOSER to your ideal life…. OR further away.

So it’s imperative that you...

1. Get clear on what the ideal life looks like.
2. Get clear on what kind of career path will bridge you there.

NOW TRY THIS:

Step 1: Before the month’s end, get to Target and pick up a huge white poster board.

Step 2: Draw a large circle on the poster board.

Step 3: Divvy the circle into 10 pie slices.

Step 4: Label each slice with some variation of the following…

1. Fun/Enjoyment
2. Romantic Relationship
3. Living Environment
4. Spiritual Health
5. Family
6. Social Relationships
7. Finances
8. Physical Health
9. Career
10. Self Improvement/Learning

Step 5: What do you want each slice to look like in your IDEAL WORLD? If you could paint the "ideal" or "perfect life" right now, what would each slice look like for you?

Imagine right in this moment, you are living the life of your dreams….

Ask yourself the question: “If I could be anywhere, doing anything, where would I be, who would I be with, and what would I be doing?

This is the part where I give my clients a guided audio visualization where they meet a version of their future self.  

You’d be surprised…. But often this version of your future self holds the answer to what’s next.

Check out these thought starters to inspire you as you fill out each slice on your poster board.

FUN & ENJOYMENT

• How much down time do you have?
• What are you doing during your down time?
• Are you traveling? (Where?)
• Watching movies? (Which?)
• Having a spa day? Weekend getaway?

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

• Are you single, in a relationship, committed or married?
• What relationship values are you demonstrating? For example: Transparency, honesty, etc.
• Which "Love Language" is being honored? Time together? Communication? Gifts?
• What does romance look like?
• What does connection look like? Laughter? Reading a book in bed together before lights out?
• Date night? How often? Where?

LIVING ENVIRONMENT

• What state are you ideally living in?
• City/Suburb/Beach?
• What does your place of residence look like? Floors? Lighting? Furniture? Get specific.  
• What about the outdoors? What does the shrubbery look like? How is the weather?
• How much is mortgage?

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

• Do you meditate? (How often? Where?)
• Do you go to church? (How often? Which one?)
• Are you reading spiritual books or material?
• Are you attending spiritual retreats?
• What does your relationship with a higher power or your enlightened self look like?

FAMILY

• What does your family like look like? Who lives with you? Who lives near you?
• What are the family dynamics like in the house? Parenting styles? Household rules?
• What about your parents/ siblings - are they nearby? If not how often do you talk to them?
• How much time do you spend with your family? What do those relationships look like?

SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

• Who is in your social circle? Who are your closest friends?
• How far away are they? How often do you see them? Talk to them on the phone? Hang out with them? What do you do together?
• What else do you do to maintain social?

FINANCES

• What is the minimum salary you will be making? Ideal salary?
• Do you have a budget? What does that look like?
• Savings? Debt paid off?
• Passive income streams? Types of investments?

PHYSICAL HEALTH

• What does physical health look like to you? Weight loss? Fat loss/ muscle gain? Simply feeling better? More energetic?
• How will you reach that goal? What kind of fitness? Running? Yoga? Weights?
• What do you eat? Water intake?
• Do you take medication, vitamins, herbs?
• Do you go for walks in nature?

CAREER

• How do you want to FEEL in your dream career?
• What is your VISION for your dream career?
• What does your ideal day look like?
• Envision yourself at work…. What are you doing? (Talking to people? Reading? Writing? Laughing?) 
• What do you need to do to support achieving your dream career? (Work with a career coach? Go back to school? Get a professional website up and running? etc)
• What type of business atmosphere is in your office? Who do you work with?
• Do you feel fulfilled? Why or why not?
• Are you living your dream? Why or why not?

SELF DEVELOPMENT

• Who empowers you on your self-development journey? What does your support group look like? Are you part of a mastermind? Do you have a mentor? A coach?
• What have you read?
• How are you continuing to learn and grow? Do you go to workshops and seminars?

HOW TO USE THIS EXERCISE GOING FORWARD

Beautiful…. Now you’ve painted out your ideal life.

I'll say it again. Your dream career should be a bridge to ultimately get you closer to living your ideal life.  

In the future, any time you are faced with a choice to make, ask yourself: Will this ultimately move me closer to living my ideal life? Or further away?

One of the first steps you’ll need to take is to get clarity on what type of career will move you closer towards this ideal life.

A career that will allow you to nurture your body/mind/soul.  

A career that will honor your time with your family and loved ones. 

A career that will bring you joy and passion.

If you don't have that career clarity yet.... make 2020 your year to go out and get it so you can start to build a path forward!

HAVE I LIT A FIRE UNDERNEATH YOU YET?

Start the discovery process to uncover what your dream career truly is.

CLICK HERE to download your Free Surefire Guide to Finding Your Passion.

Let’s do this.

Betty Kempa, CPC, ELI-MP, is an executive career coach helping mid to senior-level corporate women transition out of unfulfilling jobs and into their dream careers. 

Visit: bettykempa.com

Contact: [email protected]