Here’s the question: If I had it together, what would that look like?
Baby Step 2: Figure Out What You Want to See at the End of the Tunnel
And what are the dimensions of “getting it together”? Here are some to consider:
How about time? For example: this week, quarter, year.
If I had it together today [whatever timeframe], then that would look like…
Area of my life? Personal (health, family, friends, spirit), financial, home & infrastructure (house, yard, car, clothing), work.
My #1 Priority is to get [this area] together.
How I’m feeling? Happier, more rested, refreshed in the morning, loving my work, looking forward to my days.
As I get it together, I expect I’ll feel [this way] instead of [like this]…
Universe of possible things? This will vary… Here are some ideas to consider. The idea is to imagine arriving at the end of the tunnel (where I might “have it together”) and being able to say things like this:
- Writing. I write. Consistently. If you followed me around, you’d see that I spend at least 2 hours writing X days a week.
- Exercising. I exercise regularly. You can tell because I’m doing X [and/or Y & maybe also Z] for this much time this often.
- Working. My work makes a difference that I care about. I’m making a contribution that helps others. I feel great about this.
- Retirement. I [we] have a plan for retiring with dignity. We’re doing what it takes to make this come true, and we have a Plan B, too, in case something changes.
- Finances. I am [we are] out of debt. We live within our means. We have an emergency fund, a college fund, retirement savings. We donate to good causes. Plus, we have a little fun, too.
- Family & Great Friends. We make time to be together—and we look forward to that time. We laugh together. We disagree in a kind way. Anybody watching would say that we enjoy each others’ company and share mutual love and respect.
- Stress. Now that I do X, Y, and Z better, I no longer feel harried or stressed every single day. In fact, I feel like this instead.
Another way to figure out what “getting it together” looks like is to answer questions like these:
- If I loved my life [work, home], what would it look like?
- When I look back on [today, this week, this year, my life], what will I most want to see?
Once you’ve made a little space in your life to create change, figure out what “getting it together” looks like for you. Your answer doesn’t have to be on the order of hoping that you’ll win a Nobel Peace Prize one day. It can just be that you want to wake up feeling better or get to the end of the day feeling more productive. Or anything in between.
More baby steps to follow…
Resources
Post | The Gamification of Writing
