My Reality Check Bounced! - Jason Ryan Dorsey [11]
With the picture you have for your future, take a moment to notice the following:
1. Which of your four snapshots was easiest to describe?
• This shows the area of your journey that so far is or has been your top priority. The more effort you put into thinking about or doing something the more real it becomes to you. This is why if you’ve been focused on your career you probably have a pretty clear picture of where you want that to go. The same holds true if you are ready for a serious relationship. You know what you want, and you keep a lookout for it. The easier it is for you to describe your ideal future in one area of your four snapshots, the more confidence you have in your abilities to make it happen.
2. Which of your four snapshots was most difficult to describe?
• This reveals the area of your life where you have the most insecurity or have unintentionally chosen not to venture. Maybe you are unclear about this part of your life because it has not been a priority, because you have tried a few things and none has fit, or for some reason it makes you uncomfortable to go there. Recognize that you have room to grow in this area, and at some point you will need to address it to live with the meaning you desire.
I’ve watched thousands of people get a better grip on who they are and where they are going after describing these four snapshots. In the countless snapshots I’ve read, I have yet to read two that are exactly the same. That reinforces to me how a purposeful life is your own personal journey and not some mass-marketed self-help informercial destination. What fires you up to take a huge leap of faith in yourself may seem like a waste of time and energy to somebody else. This doesn’t mean that one of you is right and the other wrong, just that you have your own view of the world and that’s what you need to stay true to. Your parents, friends, and society as a whole have a vision of success that they will try to impress on you, but that may not match who you are. If you give in and pursue a path to appease someone else, anyone else, you can end up with big regrets or the hollow satisfaction that comes from meaningless success. Be true to your authentic Future Picture and the future you create will be authentically fulfilling.
BABY STEPS LEAD TO BREAKTHROUGHS
If you’re still hesitant or skeptical about the idea of a Future Picture, don’t stress. Just recognize that your future is an outgrowth of your actions and choices taken today. Every decision you make, every person you meet, every opportunity you explore either moves you further away or closer to the future you desire. Knowing this, you can make the choices and take the actions that get you on a path to what you most want for yourself.
If you are at a crossroad of indecision and are uncertain about where to turn, look inside yourself and you will find the answer by asking the right questions. Here’s a few: Do you feel most inspired when you are helping other people? What actions and interactions add the most significance to your day? Do you feel most alive when you go to the beach, the office, or venture off on your own? Does you heart beat faster when you are passed by an exotic car or when you slow down to check out a new exhibit at your local museum? Do you think you are more happy constantly being on the move or staying in one place for a while? What actions and direction make you most enjoy a regular Wednesday in March?
If you’re one of the people who prefer to talk about what’s wrong in your life rather than what’s right or feels good, you may have to rely on what you don’t like to reveal what you do like. This approach is just like going to a restaurant and knowing beforehand that you don’t like fish. You can skip all the fish items and focus only on the options that are left. Maybe you’ve proved to yourself that you’re not happy working