The #1 Way to Empower Your Life
Have you ever come across one of your old journals and saw that what you wrote down, back then, came true? Or recently flipped through your high school year book to find out that what someone had written about themselves came true?
There’s something going on there!
The #1 crazy and amazing way to make your ideal life come true is to write it out before it happens. This visualization of epic proportions will empower you.
I wasn’t a believer or understood it’s benefits until I tried it myself. But since late 2010, I’d been doing a variation of this when transitioning careers my life coach then had me write out “a day in the life” on the day when I would have this future job that was not yet in front of me.
I have to say I failed writing it out for the longest time because it’s freakin’ hard to see something that you don’t see right in front of you yet!
And I did everything else she asked me to do except this work. When I finally came around to writing it out, EVERYTHING in that one-page piece of writing happened.
E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.
These are the things I asked for:
ability to ride my bike (or walk) to the office - btw, everyone told me I would have to look for a job in VA or MD
wear nice but comfortable clothing (not intense professional clothing)
flexibility with coming and going (arriving late or leaving early)
fully using my degree in communications (marketing, writing, online programs)
work in non-profit for a good cause (environmental, conservation or social justice)
salary requirement $45,000
start date of February 15th
a great team to work with
comfort and ease at work (less stress)
Although I don’t have that piece of writing now, I know what I wrote. I wrote it out in December 2010 for February 2011 and it went something like this:
“I woke early excited to start my new job on February 15th, 2011. I did a quick run followed by some sun salutes before a breakfast of oatmeal, time to prepare my lunch and a shower. I’m wearing my comfortable black trousers with my favorite flow-y shirt and my black flats. I decided to walk today to get an idea of my commute as my office is just downtown. Looking forward to riding my bike there when it gets warm. My job is at an environmental non-profit and my starting salary is $45,000. Although my first day I’ll get to the office by 8:30am. I don’t need to be in the office until 9am. My work is fun and challenging and I’m tasked with all kinds of communication and marketing. I have time to take an hour break for lunch and then am able to leave by 5:30pm. Enough time to take a yoga class. My colleagues are amazingly smart, encouraging and fun”
No lie. This ALL came true. I started my job working in communications at Defenders of Wildlife, which is still located on 17th Street in DC just south of Massachusetts Ave, and I lived in Adams Morgan (DC folks you know that that’s close). My commute walking was 15 minutes or 6 minutes via bike. My first boss was chill and gave me freedom in my schedule as long as I got my work done.
I got exactly what I wanted in salary, the communications departments are the most lenient when it comes to dress, the people I worked with were amazing (a few are very dear friends to this day!), and I used my degree to its fullest in writing and marketing.
The only thing that was different was the start date which was on February 14th, 2011 instead of the 15th. So on Valentine’s Day my fiancé at the time, picked me up after my first day and we went for noddles on U Street.
This kind of writing is no joke.
It was painful to write each of those words in every single line at that time because I had no idea if this would be my reality. I was transitioning from a restaurant job into a desk job. I had volunteered my time at an environmental non-profit and felt there was no way I’d get paid to do that same work. How could I ask for a job where I’d be able to ride my bike or walk to work? How could I ask for a job where I’d use my degree to its fullest? How could I ask to come in at a leisurely time? How could I ask to be comfortable in my dress and by-pass what most of DC desk-dwellers wear? How could I say what salary I get to make? (Btw, that salary was way too low and should’ve asked for more but you get it!)
Most people with job hunting advice out there told me to send out resumes and apply to every job posting in my field on monster.com. Take interviews out in VA or MD. Prepare to commute long distances…
NO!
Instead, I did what my life coach told me to do and I {painfully} wrote out what I wanted. AND I got exactly what I asked for (should have asked for more money but that’s also another conversation about value, women in the workplace, etc…).
And YOU can do this, too. Wherever you are in your life right now, and whatever things you think are holding you back, you can take a few moments and write out what you want. If you’re going on about your day without intention for your life and simply wishing you could make more money or get this certain job or live in a different city or country or find that person for you or be the healthiest you, then you need stop your day to write what you want into existence.
I ask you to do this right now.
Empower your life by writing out a future for yourself. Use this online tool called, FutureMe, where you can write yourself as many letters out into the future as you want and they email you on the day you want it back at you. I wrote one out this morning for a year from now and cannot wait to have that letter back April 8th, 2020!
I empower you to do this, too! Try this kind of writing and discover for yourself how to empower YOUR life.