Page 171 - Talane Miedaner - Coach Yourself to a New Career_ 7 Steps to Reinventing Your Professional Life (2010)

STEP 6: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 159

a bulletin board, some corkboard, or a whiteboard; push pins or
tacks; and a bunch of old magazines, index cards, and envelopes to
make a visual map of your life plan. Pin up all the images of things
you’d like to do in your lifetime. For example, you might clip
out that photo of the Great Wall of China from an old National
Geographic magazine if that represents your desire to walk the
wall some day, a photo of a baby or two if you want children, a
photo of that house or that holiday destination you dream of. Post
any images that represent the things you want to make sure you
achieve in this lifetime. Don’t worry about the decade and instead
just make this your plan. You can then easily add, change, or swap
the images as your interests or desires change. In the middle of
the board, write down your goals for this year—use an image as
well that represents your goal or theme for the year.
If some of your goals require money, tack up an envelope with
the name of that goal written on the outside. As unexpected or
additional sums of cash come your way, pop the bills into that
envelope. You can even paste the picture of what you want to the
outside of the envelope. For example, let’s say you want to go on a
holiday to Greece but don’t have any money saved. Put up a photo
of Greece and an envelope that says “Vacation in Greece,” and pin
that up to your bulletin board as well. You’ll be amazed at how
quickly you’ll reach your objectives simply by using this simple
visual reminder. Make sure you hang the bulletin board where
you can see it every day.
I do this exercise at the start of each new year, but there is
no time like the present, so don’t wait. When I do this in late
December or early January each year, I first make a list of all my
accomplishments, large and small, over the past year and read each
accomplishment out loud. I take out my day planner to review the
year as it is so easy to forget everything that I’ve done. (By the way,
this is a great exercise to share with your family or friends, but also
can be done alone.) Most people are too quick to think of their
new goals and neglect to appreciate and savor all the wonderful
things they have already accomplished. Take stock of what you’ve