These simple coaching exercises can be done anywhere and will help you get really clear on what a wonderful present and future looks like for you. All you need is up to half an hour each day, a notepad and pen, and somewhere calm and quiet. At the end of the week, you should be feeling clearer, more focused, and excited about where you’re headed
DAY 1
Get a bird’s-eye view
Grab a sheet of A4 and write your name in the middle. Now draw a circle round it. Remember, this exercise is all about you. You’re in the centre of the piece of paper, signifying that you are the centre of your own life. Once you’ve done that, draw little lines going off your circle and, at the top of each, name one thing you have going on in your life right now that matters. It could be family, friends, hobbies, work, health and fitness, pets, and so on. Once you’ve done this, circle the three that are most important to you. After that, can you narrow it down to just one? Now you’ve identified what you’d like to prioritise, ask the following questions– think about them, chat it through with a friend, or put pen to paper.
● Where does your top one feature in your life? How close are you to prioritising it?
● If it’s not getting the time or effort you’d like, how could you shift the balance?
● What’s one step you could do today to start that shift happening?
● How do you feel having identified this area?
● Is there anything that’s not serving you that you can let go of?
● How will you feel when it’s no longer in your life, and what will you use that time for instead?
DAY 2
List your values
It might help to look at a list of values and pick out the ones that resonate most with you. You’ll find a list of 450 values in Annie Rid out’s Raise Your SQ, or you can find lists online. These are ways of being and behaving rather than ‘things’. Try to narrow your list down to your top three. Think about the things that really matter to you, or that make you think, ‘I’d like to be more like that.’ Now look ahead to this time next year. What would your life look like if you were living fully by your values and prioritising the area you identified in the exercise on Day 1. Close your eyes and really visualise you, living your best life. Feel it in your body as if you’re already there. Think about where you’re living, what you’re wearing, what you’re eating, who you’re with. What are your hobbies? Breathe deeply, relax, imagine, and dream.
DAY 3
Write your wishlist
Return to how it felt as a child writing a letter to Father Christmas, or blowing out the candles on your birthday cake, or something else magical that you believed in. Create a list of everything, big and small, that you would like in your life. Think about relationships, emotions, place, work, health and fitness, hobbies, ti
