I am sure you are thinking that this sounds pretty morbid. Why would you want to do this? The answer is pretty simple. Writing your own obituary is a very powerful way to discover what it is that you truly want out of your life which can sometimes be the best way to ensure that you will actually achieve it.
To complete this exercise, one must think about dying. But more importantly, one must think about how one has lived. For example, did you get that Doctorate you always wanted? Did you give back to your community? Did you have a happy marriage?
To complete this exercise, one must consider very important things...things not to be taken lightly.
I recently suggested that someone complete this exercise. This person was not happy with their circumstances, personally or professionally.
So, if you want to get started, do the following.
For example, you have been married for 50 years to your college sweetheart. Your have 3 beautiful children and 6 grandchildren all who live very close to you. You retired about 5 years ago with your spouse and you split time between where you grew up and your home by the beach. You had a very successful career which culminated in your role as VP of Sales at a Fortune 100 IT firm where you won many accolades and were loved by many. You were also very involved in the organization Room to Read where you helped to launch a local chapter that eventually helped build over 25 libraries and provided over 50,000 books to children across the globe.
Don't worry about writing it like they do in the newspaper. What is important is that you get the essence of your life on paper.
And then after you have taken the time to write the obituary, you can great goals for yourself to help you to achieve it.
If you'd like help completing this exercise in the form of coaching, let me know.
Ciao, Melissa
To complete this exercise, one must think about dying. But more importantly, one must think about how one has lived. For example, did you get that Doctorate you always wanted? Did you give back to your community? Did you have a happy marriage?
To complete this exercise, one must consider very important things...things not to be taken lightly.
I recently suggested that someone complete this exercise. This person was not happy with their circumstances, personally or professionally.
So, if you want to get started, do the following.
- Grab a seat in a quiet place....a great place would be outside in a park under a shady tree but since it may be Winter where you are, that may not be an option. So in lieu of that why not just imagine a warm place.
- Take out a sheet of paper or a journal and grab a pencil. (Or just fire up your computer and open a blank page.)
- Close your eyes and imagine what your life will look like at the end.....the end that is hopefully very far away.
- Imagine all that you have accomplished personally and professionally...nothing is too insignificant.
- As you begin to have images, write down what you are seeing.
For example, you have been married for 50 years to your college sweetheart. Your have 3 beautiful children and 6 grandchildren all who live very close to you. You retired about 5 years ago with your spouse and you split time between where you grew up and your home by the beach. You had a very successful career which culminated in your role as VP of Sales at a Fortune 100 IT firm where you won many accolades and were loved by many. You were also very involved in the organization Room to Read where you helped to launch a local chapter that eventually helped build over 25 libraries and provided over 50,000 books to children across the globe.
Don't worry about writing it like they do in the newspaper. What is important is that you get the essence of your life on paper.
And then after you have taken the time to write the obituary, you can great goals for yourself to help you to achieve it.
If you'd like help completing this exercise in the form of coaching, let me know.
Ciao, Melissa
1 comment:
Hi Melissa
I heard about this exercise from a senior leader of one the US's banks on the East Coast. His observation was, which he shared at a Leadership class I was giving, "you know what, my job, the company (bank) were never mentioned in my obituary.... what does that tell you?"
Good way to get us to focus on what's important though!
Andrew
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