Page 85 - Talane Miedaner - Coach Yourself to a New Career_ 7 Steps to Reinventing Your Professional Life (2010)

STEP 3: DESIGN YOUR IDEAL LIFE 73

the beach, put it down. Also include things you want to experi-
ence: If you want to visit the Pyramids in Egypt, walk the Great
Wall of China, see the Grand Canyon, or learn to dance the salsa,
commit it to writing.
Nothing is impossible, too expensive, or too difficult. Write
down every single thing that you can think of as quickly as you
can, without judging or censoring yourself. Your choices may
sound crazy or impossible, but this isn’t about being logical, rea-
sonable, or sensible. This is about throwing caution to the wind
and writing down your wildest dreams. Try to come up with at
least one hundred different things you would like to do, be, and
have. Write down every single wish, desire, fantasy, dream, or
hope that you can possibly think of. Most people start writing and
soon get stuck and can’t think of anything else. Keep writing past
this point. Stretch yourself to come up with even more entries—
stuff that you thought you could never have or become but that
you secretly want. Don’t worry: you don’t have to actually do any
of these things. The purpose of this exercise is to bust through
your limited beliefs about what you think you can and should do
in this lifetime. Most people play way too small!
Now that you have your list in hand, let’s narrow it down to
what you really want. Pick the top ten things you really want to be,
do, or have in this lifetime. Imagine that you are on your death-
bed looking back on your life: what would you regret not having
done? Write this on your top ten list in the space provided in this
section. Or, if long-range thinking leaves you blank, ask yourself,
“What would I do if I had six months to a year to live?” Pick out
the top ten things and record them here.
A little aside about regret: we usually regret not having done
something we wanted to do or not having said something we
should have said—forgiving someone, apologizing to someone,
spending more time with loved ones, having a unique experience
in life, or fulfilling a dream that we’ve secretly been nurturing. I’ve
yet to hear of anyone on his or her deathbed regretting not having
bought that diamond Rolex watch or fancy sports car.