CONGRATULATIONS! You survived! Now what? All your attention and energy had been focused on surviving. You had a clear purpose. And then suddenly, you arrived! Now you can get on with your life. But everything has changed! If not now, when will you create your flourishing life? Following are three keys for getting started:
- Reassess and prioritize your values
- Get clear about what you WANT in your life to create your vision
- Find an accountability partner to support you feeling good about yourself & to keep you moving forward
1. Reassess and prioritize your values:
Now that you’ve SURVIVED your illness, everything is changed, and that may include your values. What seemed important before can seem trivial now. And things you may have put on the back burner before may take on more importance now.
- What’s most important to you now? What are your top 10 values?
- Explore how you feel when you’re living those values, how well you’re living your values, how satisfied you are with the various aspects of your life, and ways you can get more of your top values satisfied (Values exercise is included in Your Flourishing Life Kit, available when you sign up at YourFlourishingLife.com)
- A recent executive coaching client noticed that although our primary focus had been on his leadership skills, his top value was his family. As we worked together and kept track of how his values were impacted by his choices, he began taking more time to be with and enjoy his family. When his child suddenly fell ill with a life threatening illness, my client was able to quickly re-prioritize and align who he wanted to be and how he wanted to show up for his family.
2. Create your vision – What you WANT your life to be
Brainstorm and write down all the things you would love to do, who you want to be, where you want to go and with whom, and how you want to feel (very important!).
- What helps you reconnect with joy? Conjure up the feelings you want in your life and focus there. What prompts those feelings?
- If money and health were not issues, how would you be living your flourishing life?
- Imagine the life you want in detail and write a story of what your life will be like a year from now. Paint the picture clearly and focus on how you feel in that picture, using all your senses to make it as real as possible. Pinterest anyone?
- One of the things I do with my clients is help them complete their personal Desire Map (included as part 2 of Your Flourishing Life Kit), uncovering and addressing what’s been holding them back so they can start stepping into their vision.
3. Get support and an accountability partner
This may look different for you than it does for your friends.
- What kind of support do you enjoy? Some people like face time with those they love. Others prefer calls, notes, messages, or “gift cards” promising to provide services of choice (e.g., preparing dinner, babysitting, house cleaning).
- This is an ideal time to hire a coach who is committed to helping you achieve your goals. We hold your agenda, encourage you and hold you accountable to keep the promises you make to yourself.
If not now, WHEN will you create your flourishing life?
