Try a different way of getting perspective on your long-range goals and priorities. A way that could cut through wishful thinking and ways of wasting time.
First set up your environment so you'll be undisturbed for thirty minutes. At the top of a piece of paper, write "The Life of (your name)." Everything else on the paper will be written in past tense. Keep an open mind, don't expect, hope, fear, or assume anything. Don't be optimistic or pessimistic.
Now--suppose it's the day after you died: as much as you can, get into the sense that it is that day. Now look back over 'the past' and make some notes about what happened in your life. Write your notes in the past tense, as if whatever comes to mind really did happen in the past, and you're just remembering it.
Looking Back
Just relax and see whether you can 'remember' what happened in your life. You may not 'remember' right away--but we don't always remember things immediately when we try, do we? Look back towards the past and write in past tense what you see, whatever comes to mind that was accomplished, as well as any insight you realized and any personal changes you see that you went through.
???
After Doing the Exercise
What do you 'remember'? Did you accomplish what you wanted? What happened with your relationships? Did your life take unexpected directions? Did you live the life you wanted to live? Is there greater clarity on your priorities and values in life?
???
Now forget the idea that it's the day after you died. Let go of that idea. Relax and let go of any leftover feelings from doing the exercise, and take ten-fifteen minutes to write down your priorities in life or your long-term goals and objectives, whatever you choose.
???
The exercise presented here is a variant of Exercise 20, "Reversing Temporal Structure," pp. 175-6, in Time, Space, and Knowledge (Tarthang Tulku, Dharma Publishing, 1977). There's a similar exercise called the presumé in Get It All Done and Still Be Human, by Tony and Robbie Fanning (New York: Ballantine Books, 1979).
Copyright © 1998 by Steve Randall, Ph.D.
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