It’s not uncommon to find yourself in a place where you are out of touch with what you want. Someone asks for your dreams and desires, giving you the perfect spot to put all of it out there into the universe, but all you see is a blank page. Or maybe a few ideas come to mind, but they are centered around a clear understanding of what you don’t want vs what you do.
I don’t want to feel exhausted all the time.
I don’t want to miss my kids’ lives because I’m always working.
I don’t want to live in a constant state of overwhelm.
I don’t want to spend 2 hours in my car commuting to and from work.
I don’t want to sit in the parking lot at work each morning and will myself to get out of the car.
Guess what, you are not broken. As leaders, it’s easy to get so caught up in empowering others to do their best work that we forget to turn the focus to our own. I find it most helpful to create a consistent practice, checking in on dreams and desires on a regular basis.
To do so, take out a sheet of paper or open up a doc on your computer. Set a timer for 5 minutes and for 5 minutes, simply write anything and everything you’ve ever wanted in life with no filter or judgement.
What do you want for your life?
What would be nice to experience or have?
What do you want to accomplish while you are here on earth?
What would you create if you weren’t afraid?
What problems have you experienced that you want to solve?
What ideas from your past would you still like to implement?
If you are having a hard time at first, do this exercise for a full week, every single day. I guarantee by the 3rd or 4th day, the ideas will be flowing. This also allows you to discover patterns. What areas or items come up over and over? What was a fleeting thought with little desire behind it? Why was that? What idea or desire would enable others?
Enjoy uncovering your dreams and desires. It’s one of the first steps in moving towards the life you want.