What’s possible? What’s next? We close out our 4-part miniseries on Storytelling by looking to the space of the future. Being able to set a future direction gives a sense of purpose in your here and now and draws you forward with intention. But this doesn’t mean it comes naturally. In fact, even though research indicates that simply focusing on the future causes us to be perceived as “leaders,” most of us aren’t in the practice of doing this. Sharon shares her 5 tips for stepping into a future-oriented stance and the gifts it offers. Enjoy!
- Started out today with a birthday shout out to my most fabulous mama. Happy birthday mom!
- This episode marks the close of our Storytelling series and we finish up in this series with a look to the future. In that spirit I shared a few of my favorite tips for getting into the future-oriented/visionary mindset (see below).
- Fun fact: Simply taking a future-oriented stance will cause others to perceive you as a leader. (What does this look like in practice? It can be as simple as asking questions like: Where are we headed? What’s possible?)
5 Tips For Tapping Into Your Visionary Self
1. Be clear about the kind of future you are imagining
The first step to tapping into your visionary self is to BE CLEAR.
What kind of a future vision are you imagining? ( A vision for…work? relationships? home? family? whole life?)
What’s the time horizon that feels meaningful for your future vision?
Finally: What do you want? What do you wish for? Vision is ultimately about desire for where you want to go.
You can learn more about the full vision process over on the Blog or in the Go Beyond coloring + activity book on our Shop.
2. Remember the importance of your past and present
The past: What is your story up until now. Will it catapult me towards where I want to go?
The present: What’s real for us right now? Cozy up to all your present truths and honor them. Don’t let them sidetrack you, but don’t try to ignore them. (It won’t work!)
3. Let go of reality thinking
Be able to separate from past and present and be open to possibility, unhindered by by the constraints of what is true today or has been true in the past.
If you really feel stuck here, you might start by doing a written mind dump of all the reality thinking. Usually once we write it down, we can set it aside.
Try to see what shows up without the constraints of dialogue. Be quiet with yourself.
Experiment with different ways to tap into your vision. Draw. Collage. Write lists. Create a field guild. Whatever. Get your creative juices flowing.
A word on timing: If you have a full day to dedicate to visioning, great! But 10 minutes is also stellar! Use the time you have.
4. Be open to surprises
I will usually step into visioning by asking people what they already see for their future. You’d be amazed by how much people already know.
Tap into your own inner wisdom by listening to the Vision Meditation shared in Episode 5.
5. Let it evolve
The more we see, the more our perspective grows and that can change our vision.
I think of this as the “Go Beyond” mindset and it is the final and critical piece to leading from a visionary stance versus simply achieving a set vision. We continue to grow and evolve as people and businesses as we move towards our visions and this might mean that our visions will shift and evolve right with us. Be open to it.