As we enter the final stretch of 2023 and prepare to embark on a new year, now is an opportune moment for introspection and self-discovery. An incredibly powerful exercise for gaining clarity on what truly matters is the Rocking Chair Life Vision.
This unique journaling activity invites you on a journey to the future, seeing life from the eyes of your older, wiser 90-year-old self. Perched comfortably in your rocking chair, reflecting back on the full tapestry of your life, what do you see?
The Rocking Chair Life Vision provides a gateway to connect more profoundly with yourself, realigning current actions with an enhanced vision of your values, priorities, purpose, and what constitutes a life well-lived.
Embarking on the Journey: Practical Tips
To begin, find a calm environment without disruptions and dedicate approximately 20 focused minutes for writing and self-reflection.
Start by vividly envisioning yourself at 90, filled with vibrant health, joy and contentment. Transport yourself fully into this future scene. What does your environment look like? What are the sights, smells, tastes, touches and sounds of this tranquil moment? Bask in the hard-earned wisdom and emotional fulfillment radiating as your elderly self gazes back across the landscape of your life.
Four Key Areas of Reflection
Once fully immersed in this vision, ponder the following areas of self-discovery:
Personal Identity & Values
What innate qualities and values have positively shaped you and empowered meaningful connections with others over your lifespan? How have loved ones and community members perceived you and what have they appreciated or admired about you?
Peak Experiences & Accomplishments
What signature accomplishments and contributions spark the most pride and sense of purpose as you reflect back across your 90 years? Perhaps raising a family filled with love, achieving career milestones, making scientific discoveries, supporting charitable causes, creating artistic masterpieces or mentoring future generations.
Balance Across Life Domains
Scan across the landscape of your multidimensional life - family, friends, health, home, hobbies, personal growth. Have you achieved balance, fulfillment and meaning across these interwoven domains over your complete journey? If not, what areas call for realignment?
The Feeling Tone of Happiness
What tangible elements constitute your unique recipe for enduring happiness, contentment and inner peace? What can your 90-year-old self see around you that reflects genuine joy and emotional wealth?
Recording Your Rocking Chair Reflections
With an open heart and focused mind, create a stream-of-consciousness written account of the visions, insights and reflections that surface during this activity. Perfection or sequence is not the goal. Simply give yourself permission to be fully present with the imagery and wisdom that arise.
Aligning Present with Future
While envisioning your ideal future offers inspiration and clarity, the true catalyst for growth is applying these insights to shape your actions today.
What similarities or differences exist between your current trajectory and your rocking chair vision? How might focusing on these dreams guide more purposeful living and decision-making in the present? Perhaps rethinking priorities, goals, habits or behaviors could align your steps more meaningfully with a enhanced conception of success and fulfillment.
A Call to Action
I invite you to dedicate time in these final days of 2023 for this introspective journey to an envisioned future. What guidance, inspiration or life lessons surface that could profoundly shape your path in the New Year and ripple through your coming decades?
For leaders and professionals seeking additional support and accountability in manifesting their future vision into reality, coaching can impart structure, expertise and encouragement on the road ahead. Please reach out to discuss customized coaching on leadership growth, purpose alignment, and designing an empowered future. Together we can make your rocking chair life vision a reality. The first step begins now in the power of self-discovery.