written by Nina Cashman

Many people come to me wanting to craft a vision for themselves or their careers paths. “I’m not sure what I really want” they say, “can you help me figure it out?” Sounds as easy as writing a Christmas list, right? Well, yes… almost. If you are willing to take a step back and think about who you really are first, then developing a vision for your work, and your life, will flow more naturally. Better yet, crafting strategies to turn your ideas into realities becomes a much clearer process, when you know who you are at the core.

Now for the bigger question – how do you figure-out who you really are? If this is a question that ails you from time-to-time, you’re not alone. Many of us lose touch with ourselves, as the world of expectations, obligations, appointments and overall preoccupation drowns our souls with a lot of external noise. Yet in order to determine what you really want and where to focus, it’s imperative to connect with your inner guide, which is always with you, no matter how distant it may feel at any given point and time. So, how can you find your inner voice? Here are some simple coaching tricks to find it:

      Think About Your Perfect Day:

Find a place where you can gather your thoughts and gain some peace of mind. This could be sitting still anywhere that you are comfortable or won’t get distracted, during a walk around the neighborhood, or even a car ride into work. Clear your head for a moment and ask yourself to picture the perfect day. Notice the scenes that develop in your mind and take note of things like where you are, what you are doing, who you are with, and how you are feeling. Ask yourself what’s different about this day as opposed to any other day in your life. What makes it so special? Jot down the major components that make-up your perfect day – these details will tell you a lot about what you value most, both personally and professionally.

Think About Your Ideal Role Model:

Another useful tool to leverage, especially when trying to establish your values as a leader, is to think about a person in your life who exemplifies qualities that you respect and admire. What are the most notable qualities about this person? How does she/he show-up as a leader at work and in life? How do you think she/he would show-up under pressure? What about her/his actions are most admirable? The answers to these questions provide an excellent reference for you to build, support or guide your own leadership perspectives.

Check Your Alignment:

Evaluate the reality of creating your perfect day. How in reach does it currently feel to you? What would you have to do to make it happen? What level of stress do you feel when thinking about actually creating it? What, if anything, is getting in the way of creating it right now? On a scale of 1 – 10, how important are the things standing in the way? If you are rating anything below 5, then how can you reprioritize your time and attention to make room for what’s most important to you?

Likewise, how often do you exemplify the qualities of your ideal role model? How capable do you currently feel about emulating these qualities? How often do you currently have opportunities to exhibit such attributes? What could you do to create more situations where you could exercise these very qualities that you admire the most?

Release Limiting Beliefs:

At this point, it’s important to take note of any personal limitations that could be standing in the way of becoming the person you admire most, the leader you want to be, or living the life you want to live. Think about what you could do, right now, to remove any road blocks from your pathway to success. What’s the first obstacle you are willing to tackle in order to align yourself with the things you value the most?

Allow Actions To Stem From Values:

The most powerful personal shifts come from simple awareness of the situation at hand. Once you are able to get in touch with your personal values, you are creating a closer connection for the external world to align with your inner purpose. We all have a higher conscience and it is with us all of the time. It will support our thoughts and beliefs with validating situations at all costs.

Simply put, our reality is supported from wherever our thoughts stem. If you’re focused on external noise, then it’s easy to get lost in a sea of meaningless chaos. Yet if you focus on values, the world presents supportive opportunities for you to put them into action. That said, make sure your thoughts are focused on what’s most important to you and your actions will naturally follow suit. In a nutshell, when what you do aligns with who you are, it’s much easier to know what you want.