Life Visioning: 3 Powerful Journaling Exercises to Use with Your Clients
Most people have some kind of vision for their lives—whether they’re consciously aware of it or not. If you have a client struggling with motivation or finding it difficult to choose or prioritize their goals, suggest life vision journaling. This task could help them discover inner motivation, inspiration and direction.
Please feel free to use any or all of the three journaling exercises listed below that you think will best suit your client. Ask them to write out what they imagine in as much detail as possible, and then coach them around their results. What was the experience like for them? How did it feel? What surprised them? What did they notice or learn about themselves? What might they do next with those learnings?
These journaling exercises can be given in individual or group coaching sessions, workshops or teleseminars, and they make fantastic homework. Each exercise takes 20-30 minutes, although your clients can spend longer if they want.
These life vision journaling exercises can be a fun way for your clients to get to know themselves better and find new meaning and purpose in life!
Some journaling tips to suggest to your clients:
- Just put pen to paper and write. Then, see what happens!
- Don’t worry about grammar or spelling—it’s about capturing the essence of your vision.
- Quiet the inner critic and let your imagination go.
1) The Rocking Chair Exercise:
1) Imagine you’re 90 years old, blissfully happy, healthy and sitting in your rocking chair looking back over your ideal life.
2) Consider the following questions:
- Who are you as a person? What do people value about you?
- What have you achieved? What are you proud of? What added meaning to your life or gives you a sense of fulfillment?
- What can you see and hear around you? What are you feeling? What shows you that you’re truly happy?
- Consider how your life unfolded in these areas: Family, Friends, Significant Other, Career, Health and Home. What did you do for Fun? What did you Learn? What did you do in Service and Leadership? What did you do for or in your Community?
2) The Big Party Exercise:
NOTE: I usually use a retirement party, but if your client can’t imagine retiring or if it seems too far off, you could set the scene as a milestone birthday like a celebration for a 50th, 60th or 70th birthday.
1) Imagine a party is being held in your honor to celebrate a substantial change or milestone in your life. For example, you could be retiring, moving somewhere new, going traveling, embarking on a new career or all of the above!
2) Write a speech that celebrates you. Explore what you’ve achieved and where you’re going next. Be sure to write the speech in the third-person perspective (e.g., “Sarah/Auntie Sarah has always…”).
3) Consider the following questions:
- How old are you? Who is at the party? Where is the party being held? Who will read the speech?
- What have you achieved in your family, career, business, community or in the world?
- What is it about you that people at the party truly value?
- What would you want to be said about you? What would you be disappointed by if it was not said?
- What did you do that was truly amazing? Where did you surprise yourself and others?
- What are you most proud of? What mistakes did you make that you can laugh about now?
- What is the essence of you that you want captured in the speech?
- Where are you going next in your life? What are you excited to spend more time doing? How do friends and family fit into your life going forwards?
TIP: Don’t worry about writing a “good speech,” but rather concentrate on what the speaker might say. If it helps, imagine this is a first draft of the speech to capture the key points.
3) Newspaper Article Writing Exercise:
1) Imagine you’ve achieved a great milestone in your life or career. For example, it could be an award received, a book you’ve written, an invention, a fundraising goal reached, a feat of travel or a charitable activity.
2) Write a newspaper or magazine article about this milestone—from 250-500 words—in the past tense.
3) Mention yourself and anyone who has helped you. Quote sources for the article by name.
4) Be sure to give some background including recent successes and other relevant highlights.
5) Consider what your success means for the people reading it. How will the readers benefit?
OPTIONAL: What newspaper or magazine would you like to be featured in? Write in that publication’s style.
Emma-Louise Elsey
Emma-Louise Elsey has been coaching for more than 10 years and is Founder of The Coaching Tools Company.com, an ICF Business Solutions Partner, and Life Coach on the Go. If you like this post, check out more than 100 coaching exercises, activities and toolkits, including the Vision and Goal-Setting Toolkit, and more than 25 free coaching tools. Originally a project and relationship manager for Fortune 500 companies, she discovered coaching in 2003 and hasn't looked back. Sign up for our exclusive newsletter for coaches with many other great articles and tools for your coaching toolbox at The Coaching Tools Company.com
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Emma, good article and very useful. I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a Spanish translation that would be helpful for Spanish-speaking coaches. I leave to your consideration.
La mayoría de las personas tiene algún tipo de visión para sus vidas independientemente de si son conscientes de ello o no. Si usted tiene un cliente que lucha con la motivación o dificultades para elegir o dar prioridad a sus objetivos, esta tarea podría ayudarles a descubrir su motivación interior , inspiración y dirección.
Por favor, siéntase libre de usar cualquiera o todos de los tres ejercicios que se enumeran a continuación en la forma en que usted piense que se adapte mejor a su cliente. Pídales que escriban lo que ellos imaginan con el mayor detalle posible y luego coacheelos en torno a sus resultados. ¿Cuál fue la experiencia para el? ¿Cómo se sintió? Que lo sorprendió? ¿Qué notó o aprendió sobre sí mismo? ¿Qué podría hacer ahora con esos aprendizajes?
Estos ejercicios se pueden dar en las sesiones, talleres o tele seminarios individuales o de coaching grupal, y hacen una fantástica tarea. Cada ejercicio tarda unos 20-30 minutos, aunque sus clientes pueden pasar más tiempo si lo desean.
Estos ejercicios de visión vida puede ser una forma divertida para que sus clientes se conozcan mejor a sí mismos y encuentren un nuevo significado y propósito en la vida!
Algunos consejos para sugerir a sus clientes:
• Sólo hay que tomar la pluma, el papel y… escribir. Entonces, a ver qué pasa!
• No se preocupe por la gramática o la ortografía, se trata de capturar la esencia de su visión.
• Silencie la crítica interna y deje volar su imaginación.
EJERCICIO DE LA MECEDORA
1. Imagínese que usted tiene 90 años de edad, es completamente feliz, saludable y se sienta en su silla mecedora mirando hacia atrás sobre su vida ideal
.
2. Considere las siguientes preguntas:
• ¿Quién es usted como persona?
• ¿Qué valoran las personas acerca de usted?
• ¿Qué ha logrado?
• De qué está orgulloso?
• Lo que añade significado a su vida o le da una sensación de plenitud?
• ¿Qué se puede ver y escuchar a su alrededor?
• ¿Que está sintiendo?
• Lo que demuestra que usted está realmente feliz es?
• Considere cómo su vida se desarrolló en estas áreas: familia, amigos, pareja, carrera, salud y Hogar.
• ¿Qué hace para divertirse?
• ¿Qué aprendió?
• ¿Qué hizo en el Servicio y Liderazgo?
• ¿Qué hizo usted a favor o en su comunidad?
2) EJERCICIO DE LA GRAN FIESTA
NOTA: Yo suelo usar una fiesta de jubilación, pero si su cliente no puede imaginar que se retira o si parece demasiado lejos, podría configurar la escena como un cumpleaños muy importante como una celebración para un 50o, 60o o 70o cumpleaños.
1) Imagine una fiesta que se celebra en su honor para celebrar un cambio sustancial o hito en su vida. Por ejemplo, usted se podría estar retirando, moviéndose a un lugar nuevo, ir de viaje, embarcarse en una nueva carrera o todo lo anterior!
2) Escriba un discurso para celebrarlo. Explore lo que ha logrado y a dónde va a continuación. Asegúrese de escribir el discurso en la perspectiva de tercera persona (por ejemplo, “Sarah / tía Sarah tiene siempre…”).
3) Considere las siguientes preguntas:
• Cuántos años tiene?
• ¿Quién está en la fiesta?
• ¿Dónde se celebra esta fiesta?
• ¿Quién va a leer el discurso?
• ¿Qué ha logrado en su familia, carrera, negocio, comunidad o en el mundo?
• ¿Qué es lo que la gente en la fiesta, verdaderamente valora?
• ¿Qué le gustaría que dijera acerca de usted?
• ¿Qué le disgustaría si no se dice?
• ¿Qué hizo, que fue realmente sorprendente?
• ¿Dónde se sorprendió a sí mismo y a los demás?
• ¿de que esta más orgulloso?
• ¿Qué errores cometió de los que puede reírse ahora?
• ¿Cuál es su esencia, que desea que se capture en el discurso?
• ¿A dónde va ahora en su vida?
• ¿En qué le emociona pasar su tiempo?
• ¿Cómo los amigos y la familia piensan que va su vida?
CONSEJO: No se preocupe por escribir un “buen discurso”, sino más bien concéntrese en lo que el orador podría decir. Si ayuda, imagine que este es un primer borrador del discurso para captar los puntos clave.
ESCRITURA DE UNA NOTA DE PRENSA
1) Imagine que ha alcanzado un gran logro en su vida o carrera. Por ejemplo, podría ser un premio recibido, un libro que ha escrito, una invención, una meta de fondos alcanzada, una hazaña de viajes o una actividad caritativa.
2) Escriba un artículo de para un periódico o una revista acerca de este hito de 250-500 palabras- en tiempo pasado.
3) Menciónese a usted y a cualquier persona que le haya ayudado. Cite las fuentes para el artículo por el nombre.
4) Asegúrese de dar algunos antecedentes que incluyan los últimos éxitos y otros puntos de interés pertinentes.
5) Considere lo que significa su éxito para las personas que están leyendo lo. ¿Cómo se beneficiarán los lectores?
OPCIONAL: ¿En qué periódico o revista le gustaría que se publique? Escriba en el estilo de esa publicación.
Dear Pablo,
Wow – thank-you for that work in translation! I am sure many people will be very appreciative of that.
I was wondering how you would feel if I put this on The Coaching Tools Company as a blog post?
I would love to credit you and put a link to your website too (good for SEO too!)
Let me know, warmly, Emma-Louise
Thanks Emma-Louise for your captivating article. It reminds of several identical exercises I facilitated with much meaning for participants in a week-long session entitled “LifeWork Planning”.
A slight variation to the third option I suggested was for participants to imagine that their community was about to name a street or park in their honor, or their high school / university was about to name a bursary / scholarship in their name….. Typically some participants struggled at he outset of the exercise but the result was almost unanimous in helping individuals prioritize their values, hoped-for legacy.
As you state, a very meaningful experience for most people.
Paul, Montréal
Dear Paul,
Thanks for those additions. I like those suggestions as a way of getting people to think about their values/legacy – what they stand for (or would like to). Powerful stuff!
Warmly, Emma-Louise
Emma-Louise, love the big party exercise. A question that most resonates with me about this exercise is “What are you most proud of?” This can get the client thinking deeply about accomplishments.
Dear Suzanne,
Thank-you for your kind words! It can be really helpful to envision in a way that helps us work towards something super-meaningful, something about ourselves that we really value.
I’m glad you enjoyed! Warmly, Emma-Louise
Thank you Emma-Louise for these great tips to unfold the client’s thoughts and to support the client towards the point of being stung by the splendour of a sudden thought. Johan
Dear Johan,
Thank-you for your kind words Johan. What a wonderful expression, “to be stung by the splendour of sudden thought”. I love it!
Warmly, Emma-Louise
Love this exercise, This has helped alot and I look fwd in using this exercise with people who are looking for direction.
Dear Josh,
Thank-you – I am so glad you liked the article/exercises and found it helpful.
Warmly, Emma-Louise
Hi Emma, I love seeing all of these creative journaling exercises to support learning and transformation with our clients. It is a timely article as I am about facilitate a webinar for the ICF Australia this Thursday, Feb.23rd and it is on The Transformational Power of Journaling for Coaches & Our Clients. I will be sure to mention your great article and tools during the webinar. Warmly, Lynda
Dear Lynda,
Thank-you for your kind words! And congratulations on your webinar for ICF Australia. I am sure people will greatly benefit from it – and you 🙂 Thank-you in advance for your mention, and I hope to see you around more online!
Warmly, Emma-Louise