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The Ideal
Situation
There's an old riddle
that goes like this:
How do you eat an elephant?
Answer: One bite at a time.
That can also be true for redesigning a life. Much of our lives are
made up of the routines we have developed that become the framework
for a typical day in our life. Granted, many people have a fair
amount of variety in a lot of their days, still most of us can learn
a lot about our lives by looking at the patterns we have adopted
over time.
That is the purpose of the following 2 part exercise. First, to get
a clearer picture of what your "Current Typical Day" looks like and
then to explore what your "Ideal Typical Day" could be.
Between these two pictures, between the current picture and the
picture of your ideal day, there is likely to be a gap. Sometimes
the gap is large, sometimes not so large. In either case, once you
have a clear view of both of these type days, you can begin the
process of closing the gap by taking conscious steps towards
bringing your Ideal Typical Day into reality.
Today, I love my 'typical days' as well as those that are a little
less than typical. But this is not about my days, it is about yours,
so let's get started.
Part 1: Getting a Clear Picture of your Current Typical
Day
Take yourself step by step, segment by segment, through what is a
typical day for you. Start with when you normally wake up and how
(alarm, child shaking you, or naturally awakening on your own), and
also what is your mood upon awakening. Then proceed to what happens
next as well as how you feel as you progress through the day.
Be honest with yourself. This is about telling yourself the truth.
If there are parts of the day that might vary, then make note of the
variety. For example, Tuesday through Thursday much of my typical
day is spent on the phone with coaching clients while Monday and
Friday is when I am in my office. I am mostly working on my business
rather than delivering my services.
Take yourself all the way through your typical day until you finally
put your head once more on your pillow. What time do you typically
go to bed? How do you feel at that point? How long does it take for
you to fall asleep? Do you first fall asleep somewhere else like on
the sofa in front of the TV, and then have to get up and go to bed?
Make note of anything you feel is relevant, including if you tend to
awaken during the night. If you do, how do you feel, and how long
does it take you to fall back asleep?
Part 2: Painting a Picture of Your Ideal Typical Day
This may be the more challenging part of the exercise, but it can
also be the most fun, invigorating and at least as insight filled as
the first half.
Begin to paint a picture of what your ideal or perfect typical day
would be. Keep it in balance between allowing yourself to dream and
stretch a bit while also anchoring it some in reality.
For this part of the exercise, it may prove useful to set yourself a
timeframe as to by when your Ideal Typical Day could realistically
become your real typical day. This might be 6 months out, 1 year, or
more. Again, be sure to paint a vivid picture including what you
will be doing and what you will be experiencing. Have fun with this.
What to Do with the Results
After completing both parts of the exercise, take a day or two to
note any insights you can glean from the process, and write those
insights down.
Make notes of any of the insights you would be particularly
interested in taking action on and if you know what those actions
might be, write those down as well.
If you are working with a coach, I encourage you to send the
information you have gleaned from this process to your coach. Not
working with a coach? Why NOT?
A carry on
story...
A boat docked in a
tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican
fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him
to catch them.
"Not very long," answered the Mexican.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the
American.
The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet
his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a
siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see
my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few
songs. I have a full life."
The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help
you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell
the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a
bigger boat."
"And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a
second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet
of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can
then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even
open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move
to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you
can direct your huge new enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really
interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business
gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make
millions!"
"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near
the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish,
take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and
enjoying your friends."
And the
moral of this story is: ......... Know where you're going in life...
you may already be there.
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