I was recently asked to write down my goals for the next 10 years as an exercise for a wonderful company I work with. I have to admit, as a Renaissance Soul I found this task torturous. Not because I don’t know what interests me, but because I have so many things I want to do, and I don’t necessarily have a preference for what gets checked off the bucket list first.
But the task had to get done, so I decided to think about my life goals a bit differently. What if instead of panicking about all the things I wanted to accomplish in this life, I pretended I had nine lives like my feline friends?
By taking the pressure off the next 50 or so years and allowing myself to dream as big as I wanted, I was able to get past the nay-saying that tends to pop up when goal-setting.
As of this moment, if I had nine lives they would look something like this (in no particular order):
- Organic vegetable farmer in or near Blue Hill, Maine and making crafts with my adorably curious children
- Hollywood starlet thanking the little people for making it all possible
- U.N. Ambassador, fluent in a dozen languages, helping the displaced and forging world peace
- Vagabond/world explorer with wash-and-go hair.
- Tortured singer/songwriter & visual artist living in Williamsburg and looking fab in plaid
- French Femme Fatal equally at home in Paris with my beret and riding by bicycle to get a loaf of bread in Provence
- Married to Prince
WilliamHarry and practicing my princess wave - Art History/Literature Professor & widely acclaimed best selling author
- Secret Spy Agent person like Jennifer Garner in Alias
As ridiculous as these lives may sound, I have to admit that writing them down helped me realize what I deem important as well as what gets me all riled up like a George Clooney sighting. So although we are only granted one chance on this planet (that we know of, silly), the only real limitations are the ones we create for ourselves.
So why not let the cat out of the bag and see what it can drag in…
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Absolutely LOVE this! I’ve been talking with friends, family, and fellow artists about “sharpening the focus” of what I’m going for, and oftentimes we all say, “But I love to do everything!” As a Renaissance soul (love that, Monica), I almost mourn leaving anything off my passionate to-do-list. By actually allowing myself to live these goals in a 9 lives scenario, I feel a sense of satisfaction, that I’m “hearing” myself and my wishlist, and can actually get more focused. Does that make sense?
Yay Laura! I can’t take credit for the term “Renaissance Soul” though- that belongs to author Margaret Lobenstine. And yes- I totally hear you about… ummm… hearing yourself:)
Love this! I personally want to be the first person who has 5 careers and succeeds at them all. How can I choose between a Psychologist, Marine Biologist, and Wedding Planner?.” The details you include in your 9 Lives are perfect, I just thought yesterday how lovely it would be to live in Paris and ride my bike to get some fresh cheese and bottle of wine. Oh la la!
Ooh Patty I like your combo! Well, who ever gets to Paris first MUST invite the other to come visit- voila!
Not silly at all, but it does remind me of Bob’s list of five dream jobs in High Fidelity.
sorry, Rob’s list.
Brilliance! I haven’t seen that movie in so long! Wasn’t John Cusack a cutie in that?:)
Absolutely LOVE this! I’ve been talking with friends, family, and fellow artists about “sharpening the focus” of what I’m going for, and oftentimes we all say, “But I love to do everything!” As a Renaissance soul (love that, Monica), I almost mourn leaving anything off my passionate to-do-list. By actually allowing myself to live these goals in a 9 lives scenario, I feel a sense of satisfaction, that I’m “hearing” myself and my wishlist, and can actually get more focused. Does that make sense?
+1