At this time of the year, we are prone to reflection, as the days are shorter and the nights longer. But reflection doesn’t always feel easy because it’s also one of the busiest times of the year. I wanted to share a really quick but powerful coaching tool with you: the rocking chair exercise.
What is the Rocking Chair Exercise?
The Rocking Chair exercise is a reflective, written exercise. It is designed to help you commit to accomplishing your goals by helping you reframe based on what’s important to you now and in the future. This is a great exercise to figure out what you need to have in place to feel you had a life of little (or no) regrets.
It’s a visualisation that will help you consider your decisions and may help you see your long-term options in the present. It’s great for life-changing decisions including those in your career.
You can spend as long as you want on the exercise but it will take a minimum of around 20 mins.
The Rocking Chair Exercise
Imagine, it’s your 90th birthday and you are taking a moment to sit down in your comfy old rocking chair (or any other comfortable chair!) and contemplate your life. There are no distractions or interruptions, just a moment of tranquillity to allow your mind to wander.
You are happy and healthy and you are looking back at your ideal life. There is no right or wrong answer, just let your imagination flow.
- What made your life meaningful?
- Who are you as a person?
- What is it about you that people really value?
- Who can you see around you? What can you hear? What shows you you’re truly happy?
- What are you proud of?
- Who did you prioritize?
- What really matters to you?
- What values did your life embody that gave your life meaning and satisfaction?
- What did you achieve?
Consider: How did your life unfold in the following areas: Family, Friends, Partner, Career, Health (emotional, spiritual and physical), and Home? What did you do for fun? What did you learn about, and how did you serve?
Do you want to go deeper into the Rocking Chair Exercise?
If you want to delve a little deeper then you might consider these additional questions:
- How do I feel about my choices and the life I have lived?
- What do I wish I made time for?
- What do I wish I had tried?
- How do I feel about my career?
- Where did I follow my dreams?
- What would I tell my younger self?
BONUS: That deadline you’re worrying about right now, that argument with your co-worker, that goal you didn’t achieve - Will you remember them when you’re 90 years old on that rocking chair? Probably not.