Living A FUNtastic Life (Part 9)

In HSR’s residential bootcamps, we conduct a series of exercises which we call ‘Designing Your Ideal Future.’

In a nutshell, the key question we ask ourselves is, “If I can achieve anything that I set out to achieve and there is no way I can ever fail, what will be my future in 1 year time, 3 years time, 5 years time, and 10 years time?”

The premise for this exercise is simple and absolutely logical.

If our Creator can create everything out of nothing, He can help me achieve anything. If everything is possible through Him, what can I achieve that is impossible?

In a nutshell, I ask the participants to create a Vision Board of their future. To make it even clearer, I lead them through an Imagineering Journey where they use all their senses to visualize their future.

The participants have to put in black and white their vision. They have to also craft their desired eulogy and present it publicly to everybody.

If I am working with close friends, I will ask them to write eulogies for each other. It is better that we share how much we love and appreciate each other before it is too late.

(By the way, this is not just a goal-setting exercise. As part of my MBA dissertation, I discovered that goal setting essentially does not work and that’s why I took a different approach to strategic planning.)

I encourage the participants to repeat different versions of this powerful exercise during HSR’s Lifelong Learning Courses. They also have to do it on their own and at different points in their lives.

I have been running similar exercises since 1974.

I was happy to read that Professor Laura King conducted a similar but simpler exercise. She discovered that participants who put in writing their vision for 20 minutes per day over several days generally increase their positive emotions, happiness, and health. (1)

The reason why this exercise improves my level of happiness is because I have fun and I also enjoy catching the vision – one that I find inspirational, relevant, and achievable in my life.

It motivates me to reengineer my lifestyle so that I can achieve my vision.

By putting it in writing, it helps me to crystallize my thoughts. It helps me to think through how I can get from where I am – step by step – to where I want to be.

When I read the plan every day, it motivates me to persevere to make my dreams come true.

It motivates me to jump out of bed every morning and fill my nights with beautiful dreams.

I have no time for unhappiness because I need to fill my life with hope, optimism and well-being so as to achieve my vision.

Go4It!

I hope this message will find a place in your heart.

By the way, I have also recorded other reflections.

Please go to ‘Notes’ found below my profile picture.

Visit my Inspiration blog at http://liewinspiration.wordpress.com

Visit my Transformation blog at http://hsrpatrickliew.wordpress.com

Please read them and continue to teach me.

Life is FUNtastic!

(1)The Health Benefits Of Writing About Life Goals, Laura A. King, Personality And Social Psychology Bulletin, 27: 798-807  

Question: How can we put in writing our ideal future and let it inspire us to live a life of happiness?