What does a thriving future look like for you? Can you imagine yourself at 70? Does where you are now (with who you are with now) translate into that future?
It is a hard visual to unpack. Why? Well, so much of our identities are tied up in the short-term. Most of us can't think beyond the next 12 weeks, let alone 12months.
Instagram, Facebook, Tik-Tok, SnapChat. The algorithms are designed for the "now". You either "death scroll" (where you're on social media and you don't even know why you're on) or you think about what can you post right now that gives others and yourself an immediate dopamine hit? These hormones and neurotransmitters of the brain are bring manipulated to grow user engagement at the expense of a fulfilling masterplan for our life....
So what can we do?
Be Specific. It starts with the results you want. What is the target you want to hit? And I am not talking about some loose result, like "I want more money" or "I want the right job, better partner etc". I mean, what is the specific result you can visualise, touch and feel? What future can you picture that sets you on fire?
Bottom-line, if you know exactly what you want, filled with plenty of clarity then your brain will get you there.
This is the incredible thing about the human brain. As the basics of neuroscience says, when there's alignment between the clear result you want and the values, interests and intentions set, there are priming effects that release a dopamine hit that motivates us to take actions toward our goals.
Business - Perhaps you want to sell your business in 5 years. What do you want that liquity event to look like? Who is the type of buyer that you want? How much do you want to sell it for? Who do you need to bring into the conversation or onto the team to get it there?
Personal - Maybe in your personal life, changes need to be made. The reality is life sometimes doesn't work out and you married young but it just didn't last. You started measuring a relationship and realised it is no longer love but living by sets of transactions. So knowing what you know now, what could that future relationship look like? What does other-person-centeredness mean for you? What does the intimacy, passion and vulnerability look like?
And let me say, when we get into these specific visualisations, we're not talking rules. We're talking the guidelines that enable us to lean into actions we should and shouldn't take. This moves us in the direction of the growth we want to see in delivering on our life (re)plan.
What are the Obstacles? When you have clarity in the result you want. You then need to look at what's getting in your way.
We have to be careful here, as what we think are obstacles might actually be opportunities, so before we remove them entirely. Ask yourself, can you reframe them?
Can they help you to get closer towards the result you want to see or will they just continue to be a stumbling block?
There's a power to reframing. In product development for example, maybe you have a great product, but it isn't selling well. Are you marketing it from the right angle? What other benefits does that product deliver on that you can reframe your marketing to capture your consumer's attention and generate a sale?
Are you genuinely aligned to the results and goals you want to see? Always check yourself. We often experience cognitive-dissonance that can lead to self-sabotage. Are you owning up to this dissonance? At the end of the day, what you focus on, you attract. So if you are not 100% clear on the result you want, then the outcomes you attract will equally be conflicting.
Reviewing and reiterating your results is therefore crucial in ensuring you can remove any chance of self-sabotage. You need to be super clear with yourself and what you want and does that align to the plan? If not, what needs to change?
Document it, paint it, write it down. Maybe you're a visual thinker? Maybe you think in touch or smell? Or maybe you are a combination, like me? Whatever your style, you need to develop a way to document and record your plans.
All great entrepreneurs use some form of this. From Oprah Winfrey to Gary Vaynerchuk to Jeff Bezos to 'The Rock'.
Whether it is vision-boards, 2-3 pages hand-written describing this masterplan or even a voice-memo (if you can stand the sound of your own voice?). This tried and tested method reinforces the intentions day-in-day-out and keep you moving forward. It keeps you motivated and importantly, it helps you celebrate the wins.
An example in my own life. My Opa (grandfather) an amazing man who, for context, fought in the Resistance in World War 2. After the war, starting again, from humble beginnings moved into import/export. They later migrated to Australia from Holland (via Java). Anyway, when I was 4, he gave me one of his (empty) cigar boxes and I remember very vividly, even today, "playing business". This cigar box was my 'briefcase' and I would "do deals". I still have that cigar box and it stands as a powerful visual that I can touch and feel. It helps me set my intentions and remain motivated as I look to acheive my own business plans within my life's master plan.
So what is it for you? What can your vision board look like?
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I want nothing but happiness for you. We all have the power to change our lives for the better. Whether it is in business, fitness, relationships, or in the other parts of life...
We all should want (re)plans in motion now that at 70, we can look back on and be happy with.
So what are the results you want to see? Can you see the detail in that dream business result or in that house or when you list your company on the stock exchange? What will the after-party look like? Who will you be celebrating with?
What does it look like for you?
This post might leave you with more questions and alot more leg work to do than answers. However, the sooner you start making the changes, the sooner you will start to see the results you have always wanted.
It's time to re(plan),
TK