Creating a strong vision for what it is we aspire to when we set goals for the future is an important part of goal-setting. A favourite approach of mine is the “Future Movie”, an idea I learned many moons ago within my therapy practice when I attended a workshop with Dr Ricky Greenwald, a child trauma expert and EMDR practitioner from New York. It was presented as a therapeutic technique and I used it often when I worked with children and families with problems. Although I’ve altered it a little over time to suit my coaching clientele, the basic elements remain, and I want to share the technique with you here.
Let your imagination flow and "project" the image that comes to you in response to the suggestion below onto the wall in front of you. Here's your starting point: Ten years from today, I arrive home after a long day, just wanting to sit and unwind for a bit, so I grab something to eat and settle down to watch a movie. I turn to the TV listings and see that “The (Your Name) Story” is just about to start. I think to myself, “Hey, I knew them 10 years ago … I wonder how their story has developed since then?” The movie starts and I become totally absorbed in this movie, feeling all the ups and downs and cheering the hero (YOU!) on as you soar to achieve all that you aspire to. As the credits roll, I think to myself “Wow, they really did it … they told me all those years ago that this is what they wanted, and now there it is … what an inspiring movie!”
Now ... describe what you are seeing on the “screen” as the credits are rolling on this movie, that final image, in as much detail as you can. Write it down, tapping into the brightness and colour, what you feel inside, and who else is there with you, describing in detail what this scene means to you as it relates to your success, what your thoughts are as you experience this positive outcome, and, most especially, what you are saying to yourself at that point in time.
Your need to emotionally connect with this vision and flesh out what it is that your aspirations and goal-setting can ultimately achieve. When you are able to do this, it is much easier for you to identify the interim goals that you need to set and work towards that will take you closer to your ultimate vision of your future. Without this clear vision, I find that some people do struggle to identify those critical steps that they need to take within their goal-setting practice to move forward with purpose and energy.
A goal without a thought-through end-result is little more than a vague “wouldn’t it be nice if …” wish-list, so this technique helps you focus and be clear about what your goals are and why they are important to you. This is an example of the power of story-telling in coaching; only this time, you put yourself smack bang in the starring role!
Let your imagination flow and "project" the image that comes to you in response to the suggestion below onto the wall in front of you. Here's your starting point: Ten years from today, I arrive home after a long day, just wanting to sit and unwind for a bit, so I grab something to eat and settle down to watch a movie. I turn to the TV listings and see that “The (Your Name) Story” is just about to start. I think to myself, “Hey, I knew them 10 years ago … I wonder how their story has developed since then?” The movie starts and I become totally absorbed in this movie, feeling all the ups and downs and cheering the hero (YOU!) on as you soar to achieve all that you aspire to. As the credits roll, I think to myself “Wow, they really did it … they told me all those years ago that this is what they wanted, and now there it is … what an inspiring movie!”
Now ... describe what you are seeing on the “screen” as the credits are rolling on this movie, that final image, in as much detail as you can. Write it down, tapping into the brightness and colour, what you feel inside, and who else is there with you, describing in detail what this scene means to you as it relates to your success, what your thoughts are as you experience this positive outcome, and, most especially, what you are saying to yourself at that point in time.
Your need to emotionally connect with this vision and flesh out what it is that your aspirations and goal-setting can ultimately achieve. When you are able to do this, it is much easier for you to identify the interim goals that you need to set and work towards that will take you closer to your ultimate vision of your future. Without this clear vision, I find that some people do struggle to identify those critical steps that they need to take within their goal-setting practice to move forward with purpose and energy.
A goal without a thought-through end-result is little more than a vague “wouldn’t it be nice if …” wish-list, so this technique helps you focus and be clear about what your goals are and why they are important to you. This is an example of the power of story-telling in coaching; only this time, you put yourself smack bang in the starring role!
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