What’s next in my life after a successful career is a big question to ask and most people have difficulty answering it at first. If you think about the fact that we have about 66,000 thoughts every single day and most of them are the same, it’s no wonder that amid all that busyness and clutter in our minds, we have difficulty finding room for fresh new ideas, let alone the answer to a question of this magnitude.
To do that we must step out of the mental rut we find ourselves in where every day is Groundhog Day.
We get up in the morning, poor that cup of Joe, get ready, browse our emails while having breakfast, catch up on what happened on our Social Media platforms before we get in the car, drive to the office, and do our thing for eight hours or more, drive back home, make a stop at the grocery store, fix dinner for the family, bring the kids to bed, send those last few work emails, do some guilty pleasure Netflix binging before we fall asleep – exhausted from our day with that carousel of thoughts still spinning in our minds.
Only to repeat that very same routine the next day and if something drastic doesn’t stop us for the rest of our lives…
But why wait for a dramatic event to step off the rollercoaster when you can do this NOW by changing your routine – simply by getting STILL for a little while BEFORE you start your day?
Yes, that means you might need to get up a little earlier every day (there goes the late-night binge-watching) but it’s so worth it to find time early in your morning to just be still and get to know yourself.
Find a quiet and comfortable space in your home where you can relax, close your eyes and ponder this question:
What do I really want to do with the rest of my life?
And then wait and see what bubbles up. Our mind is trained to answer questions. You can use this program to your advantage. Have a journal and pen nearby to jot down what comes to the surface for you.
Most importantly allow what shows up to BE and don’t judge it because somewhere in there is the answer to your question.
Yes, that answer is already INSIDE of you, and when you quiet down your mind you will finally be able to hear it.
Now, this requires some practice at first as we have a tendency to judge ourselves often very unkindly, which goes back to how we have been conditioned to see our world and what we have learned about how we should operate in it.
So the minute counter-productive and judgemental thoughts get in the way of your internal treasure hunt, dismiss them firmly by saying out loud NEXT and continue to explore what sparks in your mind.
Pay close attention to how you feel as you go through this process of getting to know yourself. Look for those elevated emotions that bring up joy, laughter, happiness, fulfillment, and inner peace…. as you continue to sit with this question.
It might be easier to do this if you think back to the time when you were a little kid used to letting your imagination run free.
Nothing was off limits. You were the Indian chief, the astronaut, the police officer, the princess, the cowboy, the Star Trek commander, heck even the president… because you let your imagination lead the way WITHOUT any restrictions.
The same principle applies here. Imagine an empty canvas that you can paint in the most beautiful colors because they are all available to you. There are no restrictions, no limitations, everything is wide open, you are the painter, the artist that paints a beautiful picture of your life.
When you make this a habit every morning, the answer will come and when it does, be sure to follow the call because it came from the depth of your soul.
If you’d like to find out more about how to successfully set up your next chapter, I have a helpful resource for you. You can grab it right here.
After you check it out, let me know what this sparked for you.
~Simona