Exercises


Dream List
Looking Back, Looking Forward

Dream List

Fast forward 70 years from now. You are reflecting on your amazing life, as it has occurred this past 100 years. You have accomplished incredible things and had some thrilling adventures. Write them down. Allow yourself to dream big and have fun with it. Don’t judge. Remember: this is an exercise, not a commitment. Nobel Peace Prize? Start a nonprofit? Adopt a child? Write your memoirs? Include everything.

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Looking Back, Looking Forward

This exercise can be done at any time, but is very effective in lieu of resolutions at New Year’s and birthdays. It has two components: 1) looking back at the past 12-18 months at your successes and the things you have learned, and 2) looking forward to the next 12-18 months toward what you’d like to create and undertake.

Relax and reflect, without judgment, and record your thoughts. Do these as two separate lists:
1) Looking Back and 2) Looking Forward. This can be a work in progress and can be revised at different points throughout the year – it should be a live document that evolves as you do.
  
Some tips:

  • Be realistic by setting achievable goals. Winning the lottery, for example, is out of your grasp.
  • Describe your goals in specific terms. Instead of "I don't want to be lazy," opt for "I want to exercise regularly" or "I will cut down on my television watching."
  • Break down large goals into smaller ones. For instance, commit to losing weight by resolving to join a gym and improve your eating habits.
  • Find alternatives to a behavior that you want to change, and make this part of your plan. For example, if you want to quit smoking, but have smoked to relax yourself, consider: What other forms of relaxation are available to you?
  • Above all, aim for things that are truly important to you, not what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you.

Lastly, here are some topics that you may want to include (for both lists) so that you can broaden your scope beyond losing weight and making more money:

  • Career: your real expression, not necessarily your “job”
  • Money: includes both your finances and your “job,” if it’s not your “career”
  • Health: mental, physical
  • Relationship: friends, family
  • Love: romance, partnership, dating
  • Personal growth
  • Spirit: relationship to self, universe, higher power
  • Community: contribution, involvement
  • Physical environment: home/work space, clutter, living location
  • Fun and recreation
  • Time/energy management: how you spend/utilize your time, what you say yes/no to
  • Communication: style, frequency, with/to whom
  • Miracles: if something amazing and unexpected were to happen this year…

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